Fallout 3: The Wayward Soldier
by Fire Kunai
Summary: To find her father Alex will go to the ends of the earth. But she won't be polite about it. *Fallout 3 story with some tweaks and changes. Rated T for a bratty kid and Lone Wanderer/Burke* *Under COMPLETE reconstruction
1. Chapter One: Escape Velocity

**Hello all! I give you "Fallout 3: The Wayward Solider" I loved the game so much I decided to write a variation of the Main Storyline. Please bear in mind that I have changed a few aspects of the game, tweaked the storyline so that you're not reading another walkthrough just with names. I've introduced new concepts of the Pip-Boy; make them more unique to each user, changed some dialogue and I have attempted to explore the nature of other NPC's as well as the leading role. Most of this story with written with a passive, narrative tone that I have found to be very challenging but fun to write. I tried not to get bogged down with overly descriptive paragraphs (Higher English taught me something) so the story looks a bit thin at the moment. This is a mighty big chapter (Zomg! It's over 9000!!!!) and I did try to break it down into two chapters but just seemed to mess up everything else I had planned (It's so difficult to write the escape from the Vault! I can see why most people skip it) So anyway, enough of my ramblings, Enjoy the fic!**

**All of my chapters are named after episodes from the 2003 remake of "Battlestar Galactica"**

**Flames will be used to keep my fire going this winter :3**

* * *

**Fallout 3:** The Wayward Solider  
Todays chapter is Inspired By:  
**"I will not leave a letter nothing at all  
I'm sure you wont notice that I'm even gone"  
**-**Crossfade, Already Gone.  
**  
**Chapter One**: Escape Velocity

* * *

"Dad? I'm home!" A disgruntled voice sounded off as the owner slid the door shut, leaning down to unlace her boots. Nimble hands unclipped the tool belt bucket around her stomach, letting it drop to the ground with a heavy thud. A metal vomit of Screwdrivers, wrenches and various nuts and bolts spilled out at the front door but the girl had neither the energy to care nor the patience to pretend otherwise.

"In here Alex," The father called from, if it could be called, their living room. The girl padded through to the sterile longue to find her father collecting up several bunches of yellowed paper from the coffee table, shuffling them out of sight. His scruffy, nineteen year old daughter, Alexandra Halsey sunk into an armchair opposite him.

"Hello sweetie. Have a good day?" A weary smile pulled at the young woman's lips.

"About as good as you can get shifting through ten years of shoddy wiring" she remarked, bitterness thick upon her tone. Her father suppressed a sigh and eyed her carefully.

"Wished you had taken the G.O.A.T seriously now?" he asked, reproachfully. Alex snorted with resentment, pulling a pair of old leather gloves off her hands; revealing rough palms.

"How seriously can I take a test that has 'The Overseer' as an only possible answer" The girl countered, brows knitted together.

"I guess you're right. Still, try and make the best of it honey," her father said softly.

"Mum is not going to haunt you now is she?"

"No need. Her daughter is a Technical Specialist at the age of nineteen. Hardly a garbage burner,"

"After today? I really wish I was a garbage burner." A low chuckle escaped her father's chest and he reached under the coffee table, fumbling about for something. A colourful box of Sour Rattlesnakes found its way onto Alex unexpectant lap. Nothing broke up the day like a box of sugar, carbohydrates and numerous amounts of E numbers.

"Here you are sweetie. A gift from the good Doctor. Came in this week's rations" And just like that, Alex's bad mood was squashed. The furrows on the brow of the girl disappeared, replaced with a grateful smile.

"This a feeble old man's attempt to cheer me up?" She asked, bursting the packaging and proceeding to devour the sugary innards at a rate of knots. The Vault's doctor chuckled and nudged his daughter with a booted foot.

"I would hardly call myself 'old' or 'feeble'" the man countered.

Alex did love him so. No one else could even come close. He was weathered but tidy, with once jet black hair now showered with streaks of grey. His face was stamped with kindness and compassion but his eyes hid a kind of resigned despair and regret. Alex had spent years trying to work out the mistakes hid behind those thoughtful brown eyes. His shoulders slumped like he was carrying a great burden upon them. Father and daughter were the polar opposites of each other, he being the quietest of the latter while his daughter was loud and expressive. The young mechanic had inherited her small stature and rich brown hair from her decreased mother, a tiny woman with a flaming disposition which she passed down onto her daughter.

"How are the repairs on the Vault filtration system coming along?" A scowl crossed the teenager's face that wasn't caused by the sour coating on her candy.

"Not at all. I'm off the project. Lewis is handling it now," Alex explained, squeezing one of her candies a tad too vigorously. James quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. Who had Alex irritated today?

"What did you do Alex?"

"Nothing! I swear" She protested, though it would do her little good.

"I know when you are lying to me Alex." The said girl winced at the warning in his tone.

"I struck a superior bitch." James released a pent up sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had seen that coming.

"Getting into fights again? How old are you? Nine?"

"It wasn't my fault, Christine provoked me."

"It's never your fault is it? You can't get away with this anymore Alex. The overseer with end up putting you in the brig again."

"I like the brig."

"Oh Alex..." Her father started but his feisty little daughter bet him to the punch.

"What bugs me is that he lets the other Specialists do it but not me."

"Honey, you're overreacting again-"

"He doesn't trust me dad. I can see on his face, hell I can see it on all of them" Her father sighed and rubbed his dark eyes.

"Of course he trusts you. Why wouldn't he?"

"I don't know Dad, he calls me 'disobedient and insubordinate' at every opportunity. Not exactly high praise."

"Sweetie, we have been over this already. This Vault, I know you don't like it but it's a safe place. You don't like the Overseer I know but he...keeps us protected; safeguards our lives."

"Does that mean he owns them?"

"Alex, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, fine, I get it. I'm supposed to be on the early shift tomorrow so I'm going to bed." As much as Alex tried, she could not hide the bitterness in her voice. Her father heard it too and heaved a deep sigh. The girl stared at the carpet, refusing to look at him.

"Goodnight my love." he remarked quietly. It wasn't until Alex studied him properly that she suddenly like a brick was dropped into her gut. He appeared pale with red rings under his eyes as if he had been weeping moments before the young mechanic arrived home. How could she have missed it.

Alex struggled up from her warm seat ungracefully and caught sight of her appearance in a makeshift mirror bolted onto the wall. Messy russet hair framed her head, cut in an uneven fashion and hung just past her ears in neat, smooth tresses. Her hair style was the only remotely feminine aspect about the girl. Short and scruffy; Alex was often mistaken for a fifteen year old boy with an effeminate hairdo rather than a nineteen year old woman much to her dismay. Her nose was smaller and she had thicker eyelashes but the whole, she was very boyish looking. What little curves she had were hidden by the oversized overalls she wore to work. Like her father, her eyes were large but a bright bottle green and a mirror to her mind. The young woman was the type to wear her heart on her sleeve; "My Little Open Book" according to her father.

The girl left her father alone and trotted through to her dark bedroom. With a frown plastered on her lips, Alex flopped down onto the standard issue Vault bed and yawned in a very unladylike manner. Alex did not even bother getting changed out of her jumpsuit. Sleep would not come to Alex now, sugar flowed freely inside her veins and kept her eyes alert and far from the sandman's clutches. Alex laughed at what she thought was stupidity on his part. Beside the girl's bed, a small table sat – Iron like everything else in the room- with a few knick knacks spread across the surface. That included her Pip-Boy 3000; glowing a bright luminous green while "he" recharged. The Pip-Boys had been undergoing a full maintenance reconfiguration which included an enhanced V.A.T.S and personality overhauls. Now every Pip-Boy had a unique personality that was found in no other device.

* * *

It was late before Alex eventually dropped off to sleep, into the early hours of the morning and the late hours of the afternoon before the young girl awoke. The wakeup-call came not from her worn father but instead her wide eyed, frantic friend Amata. Usually, The Overseer's Daughter looked neat and tidy at every minute of every day as an "example" to the other dwellers. But today, her dark hair was messy and her equally murky brown eyes were highlighted with a glimmer of emotion that Alex had not often seen residing in her friend before.

With Amata's high brow creased in worry, the Doctors daughter stared blankly up at Amata from the rumpled bed.

"Amata? What's going on?" Alex asked foolishly.

"Hurry Alex! You've got to get up! Your father is gone and my father is looking for you," Amata explained quickly, grasping the brunette's hand tightly and pulling the shell-shocked girl to her unsteady feet. A flourish of betrayal blossomed within her chest and, inside the girl, an ocean of questions flowed freely in mind; each without an answer.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Alex tried again, somehow managing to wade through her confusion.

"I don't know but he's gone! Left the Vault and my father....well he's kinda gone crazy!" Amata explained frantically as she picked up random supplies strewn across the bedroom, shoving them into an old leather backpack that had obviously seen better days.

"Amata, I've never seen you this upset before," her tone more detached than she would have liked.

"It's Jonas! They killed him! My father's men, they took him and....I'm so sorry, I should have done something" Amata sobbed, her dark knuckles turning white. The colour of Alex's face rapidly changed colour from white to sickly green and the betrayal became fury within the girl. A sensation of cold, hard distress eat away inside her and the girl wondered if this was what they called "mourning". Alex uncharacteristically steeled herself and made an effort to quell Amata's self loathing. The girl blamed herself for Jonas's death; though here was nothing she could have possibly done.

"It's not your fault Amata, not from where I'm standing", Alex soothed with cold reassurance and a look of surprise crossed her face and Amata's with her tone. Obviously, a vocal response coupled with a good few obscenities was what they were both expecting. Amata bit her lip as her only response.

"I know. I'm just sorry you had to find out like this. I know Jonas was your friend" Amata replied, fingering the leather bag in her grasp. "Listen, I know it's not any of my business but did your dad say anything to you about leaving?" Amata asked carefully, her tone sounded like she was treading on egg shells; as if she was expecting the shock suppresser on Alex's bad temper to buckle any moment.

"No, he never said a word about it." Alex replied regretfully, her green orbs eyeing the leather sack.

"You going somewhere?" Amata shook her dark haired head and pushed the bag into Alex's unexpected and lack hands.

"Not me, you."

"Me?!"

"I'm sorry, but I think you should follow your father."

"But how do I get out?"

"Listen, I have a plan."

"Let's hear it then."

"In my father's office, there is an underground tunnel that leading right up to the door. You'll need to break into the office and hack the terminal. There are some bobby pins in the back pocket of that bag, that's how I always get in, along with some others things I think you would need for the outside. Oh, and here is my father's pistol. You will need it more than him"

"Thanks Amata. What would I do without you?"

"Not a hell of a lot. Now go, I'll try and meet you at the entrance but don't wait for me. Good luck." With that Amata gave Alex one last fleeting smile before running out of the room. In the distance, the scream of the alarm bells resounding throughout the halls. The girl's stomach clenched in a sickening manner; tying itself into a pretzel for several moments. Distant shouts ricocheted off the walls and the distinct scent of pandemonium clung to the air. It was as if Pandora's Box had been opened rather than just the front door.

Alex reached over for her charging Pip-boy and buckled him against her wrist with trembling fingers. There was something reassuring about having him on her person and helped ebb away her anxiety. The device stirred and the screen began to glow a bright emerald green.

"Hmm? What's going on lass?" The voice of her Pip-Boy asked with his Scottish accent heavy upon his synthesized voice. With her mouth fixed into a frown, Alex darted out the door; her steps light and agile against the metal floor plating.

"Dad has left the Vault and the Overseer is looking for us. We're leaving. Now" Alex whispered, pressing her back up against the wall before rounding another corner. The halls were surprisingly empty despite the blaring sirens that rocketed through the corridors. Biting her lower lip, the red head peeked around the bulkhead. A single security guard stood in the girl's way, dressed in standard issue Vault-Tec jumpsuit with a flakjacket strapped to his torso. Luckily for Alex, he was armed only with a police baton.

"So, we going on a little jig out into the wasteland aye?" The Pip-boy remarked from his position on her wrist, a little too loudly for his own good. Alex groaned as the officer spun around and raised his weapon.

"Hey! There she is! You! Don't move!" the security guard suddenly hollered. He opened his mouth to yell something else, only for his shouts to suddenly be drowned out by the sinister scuttling rapidly approaching their position. A squad of perfectly synchronised giant roaches stormed the corridor. They were Radroaches; huge and mutated bugs that were a constant plague to the residents of 101. Small and quick usually they posed no real threat on their own but in a group, they could cause all sorts of unpleasantness. However, they were a far from adequate distraction.

While the swarm attacked the security guard, the young woman stole her chance with a leather bound fist and darted forward. She jumped over several roaches and ran right past the distracted security guard, not bothering to look back. He would be fine, Radroaches were easy to take care of and the security training provided by the Vault wasn't completely useless.

The teenager had just turned the corner when suddenly her childhood bully Butch leapt in front of her, his eyes wide with uncharacteristic fear. Without hesitation, Alex's hand darted to the pistol at her hip and whipped it out; finger hovering dangerously on the trigger. The vindictive little bastard was one of the few people Alex would gladly store a bullet in the brain. Although distressed, Alex ignored his discomfort and glared openly at him; jade coloured eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Out of the way Butch. I don't have time for your games," Alex demanded, gesturing with her 10mm pistol at him. To her immense surprise, Butch raised his hands as a peaceful gesture though his eyes told a different story. Alex stifled a snort of laughter. What had gotten him so spooked?

"You have to help me! My mum is trapped in there with the Radroaches," Butch cried, trepidation cracking his voice. The brunette cocked an eyebrow and frowned, her weapon still aimed at the childhood bully. It would have been easy to simply shoot him and walk past. After all, he deserved nothing else after the way he treated both herself and Amata. Despite the mutual dislike they both held for each other, the young woman's trigger finger waver slightly.

"Why in oblivions name would I help you?" Alex demanded harshly.

"I know I have been a jerk to you and I'm sorry but please, help me! If not for me but for my mum" Butch countered, his voice breaking slightly. Alex rolled her eyes and lowered the pistol with some apprehension.

"Alright Butch, but I'm doing this for your mum. Not for you." Alex replied, her tone ice from the mountains. The said boy sighed with obvious relief and gestured to his living room for the girl to follow. Like the home of Alex, it felt cold and empty; devoid of life expect for the scratching and scuttling from the next room coupled with painful squeaks. The Pip-boy on her wrist, who had been silent for some time, finally spoke up.

"Aye, targets confirmed, three Radroaches and the old wifie from the looks of it", he piped up. As she reached for the doorway switch, Alex readied her pistol. The door slid open with a sick groan and Alex darted into the room. As her Pip-Boy had predicted, three large Radroaches were attacking Butch's mother as fiercely as they knew how.

"Now?"

"Yes, now"

The young woman blinked once and suddenly the cold rush of the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System enter the fight. Time came to a complete halt; freezing the Roaches with it. A translucent shine of neo green blanketed the girl's vision as several lines of code suddenly ran across her sight. A sudden pressure was placed upon on her neurons as the Pip-Boy connected its frequency into her brain wave patterns; displaying the status and position of the roaches across her vision. Percentages of probable hits shot up across the young woman's blurred sight.

Alex fired.

The roaches exploded.

A round of bullets hammered through each of the rock hard outer shell of the Radroaches; cracking through the protective brown shell and painting the floor white with various internal organs. Smoke rose from the nose of her gun in an ominous manner. Alex holstered her gun with a satisfied smirk and turned to see Butch run through the door.

"We did it! My mum is going to be okay!"

"Hey, when I say I'm going to do something, I'll do it."

"Yeah yeah. I know it's not much but here, take my jacket," Butch said happily, shoving his leather tunnel snakes jacket into Alex's slack hands and retreated back into the safely of his quarters. The said girl quirked an eyebrow and made a mental note to destroy it at a later date; maybe even burn it. Never the less, Alex shoved it into her leather sack and continued on her way with a renewed vigour in her step. She needed to move, and move quickly she hoped to get out alive.

Alex rounded another corner, practically skidding down the hallway and losing her footing in her haste. She zipped straight through the canteen and was bombarded. But not by officers or roaches, instead memories of times once lost; those better days when life around them all was simple and constant. The young woman's mouth twisted into a smile as she recalled briefly the colossal black eye she managed to bestow upon Butch when he stole her sweetroll. The bully made her pay dearly later but her father's grin was unforgettable. She came across the body of Grandma Taylor and felt an unfamiliar pang of grief. Old lady Taylor had always been kind to her. Alex paused for a moment to pay her respects before darting off again.

The girl ran straight through the Atrium, passing Tom Holden and his wife Mary. Gunshots sounding off in the enclosed space caused Alex to jump suddenly. Like a blue bullet, the girl ran straight through and up onto the upper Atrium level; storing bullets in three roaches and impacting her boot on a fourth as she passed. Two of the security doors were locked so she rounded onto the third, relieved to find it open. She ducked through the arched hallways. It wasn't until the bright lights from the consoles poked her in the eye did Alex realise that she was standing in the middle of the maintenance department; her natural territory. The frozen face of Floyd Lewis stared back at her and wash of steel regret hit Alex. Floyd had taught Alex everything when she turned up two days after the G.O.A.T test, asking – though more like demanding a place in the Maintenance Department after her G.O.A.T. She checked his body and pocketed his lucky sunglasses. In his toolbox, she grabbed the scrap metal, a wrench and a paint gun before continuing on her way.

Alex came to an abrupt halt when the voice of Amata could be heard over the wailing emergency sirens. The girl inched forward and peered through the glass window. Inside was the Chief security officer, The Overseer and Amata. From the look of the situation, Alex could only guess that they were interrogating her. Over what and why would not remain a mystery for much longer.

"I told you! I don't know!"

"Now Amata, I know you helped her."

"She is my friend, I had to!"

"But would she do the same for you? Please Amata, don't make this any more painful that it already is. I just want to have a talk with her."

"I swear, she hasn't done anything." The words were like a bucket of ice In Alex's face. A sudden thump of fist upon flesh was unmistakable and Alex winced, looking down at her pistol; or rather Amata's father's pistol. There was not nearly enough ammo to take three security officers down. Heck, not even enough for one. Too much ammo had been wasted on the Radroaches thanks to her crap shots. Alex let out a strangled hiss through clenched teeth and ran straight forward; each step felt like a bullet to the gut. She was leaving her best friend to the wolves. Alex could not fathom why she was running from her ailing friend and for a fleeting moment, she wished she was in Amata's boots. At least Amata would not feel the betrayal that coursed through Alex's veins. Physical wounds were much easier to deal with. A punch in the face she could take. A slap in the mouth was almost welcome. Clean and hide a wound with a bandage, it would heal over time. Emotional wounds however, left scars that could run deep for years. When Alex fled from her friend, a piece of her honour was lost for good.

What kind of monster was she?

The traitorous kind.

The worst kind. Alex had helped her enemy before her best friend.

Alex was so wrapped up in her self-pity that she had not noticed that she had arrived in the administration complex. The still body of Jonas lay in a pool of his own blood; the sight caused Alex to let out a half strangled gasp. Dull, open eyes stared out at her from coke bottle glasses and hate blossomed again. She removed and pocketed his glasses then gently closed his eyelids shut. A holotape peeked out of his pocket, the crude sticky label addressed to Alex. Puzzled, the girl took the tape and stuffed it into her jumpsuit pocket before continuing on her way.

After quickly picking the lock on the door but snapping three bobby pins, Alex entered the Overseers office with little apprehension. Like any self-respecting problem child, she had been sent to see him more often than not when she was young. She closed the door behind her and hoped it would buy some time if security discovered her location. A quick raid for the locker near his desk revealed the password for the computer, one and twenty 10mm rounds and a pack of Mentats.

"Pop me in lass, I'll see if I cannae download some of the information from his box," her Pip-boy suddenly asked in his synthesised voice. His sudden intrusion of the silence made Alex jump almost three feet in the air.

"Don't do that to me," Alex demanded, pulling out the connection cables from the top of her Pip-Boy and slotting him into the union ports. The screen of her Pip-boy flared up in response as data trafficked back and forth inside his circuits; downloading all relevant information regarding the outside world.

"Sorry lass," he remarked, bright green text scrolling across the screen. Alex opened up the Overseer's file and clicked on the Overseer's Tunnel. A low rumble groaned from beneath her feet then the desk behind her became animated so suddenly that she jumped again. The platform rose up for another few seconds before it came to an abrupt halt.

"Right lass, I'm done. Unplug me," Her Pip-boy whirled. She unplugged him and fed the hacking cables back inside her Pip-Boy. Alex ducked into the tunnel and flicked another small switch, following dimly glowing lights right down to the depths of the tunnel. She met one or two Radroaches along the way and implanted a bullet in each; her pistol fresh with ammo. The girl soon came to the control room for the vault and she rested for a moment; the sensation of fatigue burning at her throat. The air was sterile and almost tasted stale on her tongue and the lifeless atmosphere of the room put Alex in mind of a crypt. The Vault door was cut in the shape of a giant gear and sunk a good few feet into the wall; accessed by a control panel nearby. A quick search nearby crates and boxes provided the girl with more junk that could be traded outside. Or at the very least thrown at someone if the need arose. Alex turned to the console and her fingertips danced across the panel and activated the Vault's entrance. The Door whirled to life and screamed in protest at being open a second time that day. Compressed air spilled out from the gaps as the Vault door slid forward with a sickening groan. Alex had been too transfixed to notice Amata suddenly appear next to her like she had just popped out of the ground.

"You did it! You really did it!" Amata cried happily. Alex turned and felt a twang of betrayal at the sight of her ecstatic friend. The bruise on Amata's left cheek was a painful reminder to Alex how cowardly she had acted.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without your help."

"No, you didn't need me. If anyone can survive out there, it will be you"

"I'm sorry Amata; I couldn't risk them catching me. I was almost out of ammo" Amata bristled somewhat.

"It's okay, I understand. Listen, If you ever find your dad out there, tell him I'm sorry; for Jonas, for the Vault, for everything." Alex quirked an eyebrow playfully.

"Why don't you come with me?"

"No Alex, I belong here. This is my home. I'll be damned if my father thinks he can chase me out"

"Where did that backbone come from. Well, goodbye Amata."

"Goodbye Alex. I'll miss you. Try not to piss anyone off too much." Alex snorted at the ludicrous thought.

"Everyone has a skill Amata." They stared at each for a second before Amata reached over and enveloped her friend in a tight hug. Alex, however, felt like somehow hauled a rusty knife through her gut. She had done nothing to help Amata in her time of need but yet the good natured girl was still stupid to care enough. Alex returned the favour as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Now, go," Amata urged, breaking the embrace and pushing her friend towards the exit. Two security guards rushed through the door, shoving Amata roughly to the side. Alex turned and ran straight out the door as quickly as her short legs could carry her. The security officers did not pursue, and hung back at the entrance. Puzzled, Alex took another few steps back only to see the horrifying sight of the door to Vault 101 sliding shut with another deafening screech. She was not sure how to think or respond and simply stood for a moment or two. Her ears were free from the incessant ringing of the alarm sirens and for the first time since Amata had hauled her out of bed, Alex felt sweet relief. The girl traipsed up the shadowed tunnel, apprehension eating away at the pit of her stomach. She forced a determined frown onto her face.

The world was waiting.

The moment Alex stepped out into the sunlight for the very first time, sunlight speared her eyes sharply. Instinctively, Alex threw her gloved hand up over her burning eyes. She had not expected the outside sunlight to be so piercing and she was paying for her foolishness. Through squinted jade hues, Alex slowly but surely allowed her sheltered eyes to adjust to the light of the wasteland. She spied a nearby signpost reading "Scenic Overlook" in faded white print and laughed at the irony. The "Wasteland" did not fail to live up to its expectations. Rubble littered the landscape; a patchwork of tragedy upon the worn quilt of a landscape. The Nuclear war had completely devastated the land, leaving behind husks of empty cities and former shells of townships. Roughly to the west, Alex could vaguely make out a great tower just peeking over the landscape and to the southeast jutted large collection of scrape. Alex felt some hope. Perhaps humanity had managed to survive even now. The thought alone quelled some of the anxiety in her stomach. Alex had not been looking forward to the concept of being the last human standing. She unzipped her jumpsuit and secured the arms around her waist tightly like she would a fleece or jumper. The last thing she wanted to do was get sun stroke so early in the game from overheating in the wasteland. The young woman heaved the sack higher upon her back, and set off down the slope towards the hunk of metal marring the landscape; taking care not to trip on the way down treacherous slope.

Heat beat down from the sky relentlessly Alex wiped her damp brow and looked up at the blinding yellow orb with obvious loathing. She fumbled in her jumpsuit pocket and pulled out Lewis's lucky sunglasses; shielding her green hues from the suns vicious attacks. She had been walking – more like stumbling for a good one hour so, listening to the stolen downloads from the Overseer's computer. From what her Pip-Boy could decode, it appeared that the Vault had been open sometime before either she or Amata had been born. Several documents explained some of the creatures that could be found roaming the wastes, the city of "Megaton"; a detailed report about a human settlement to the southeast and the economic crisis that gripped whatever was left of humanity. People used Bottle caps or just "caps" instead, of what she would have considered, money. Caps were used to buy medicine, food and other supplies in various other settlements dotted around the Wasteland.

Despite everything that had happened and the uncertainty for what lay ahead, Alex hoped that Megaton would have a shower.

* * *

The mechanic swiftly came to the conclusion that she did not like Megaton one bit. Once one got over the amazement of a town being built around an active Atomic Bomb, the town was a lot to be desired. The place appeared to be dark even in the daylight, smelly with very little in the way of shops and retail. The workmanship was substandard and poor; thick ropes of cables hanging freely here and there and the walls were crudely welded together with scrap metal. The walkways were in complete disrepair, a good few having to be closed off completely. The houses, no shacks, were just like the residents who resided in them – bleak and hopeless. People within Megaton kept to themselves and were uncooperative, surly and suspicious of outsiders.

Alex stopped abruptly and surveyed the area with obvious distaste lingering upon her face. Not exactly the High rise but it would have to do. If her father had been planning an extensive trip, surely he would have passed through this "Megaton" before setting off.

"Well hot damn, we've got us a Vault Dweller" A kind voice suddenly asked Alex. The young woman spun around, apprehension and confusion lingering in her stare. A good natured but weathered man stood before her, his dark skin wrinkled like a baked potato left in the heat for too long. He was dressed in an overcoat, sporting an old cowboy hat that had obviously seen better days and a pointed silver star was pinned to his chest. The mechanic would have scoffed if it hadn't have been for the Chinese Assault Rifle strapped to his back, warning enough to silence Alex's snide words. However, the meta-cowboy spoke before she did.

"Lucas Simms, Vault girl. Pleasure to meet you," The old cowboy greeted. An effervesce of curiosity bubbled within Alex's chest.

"Lucas Simms huh? Are you like the sheriff of this place?" The girl asked, nodding towards the star stapled to his chest.

"Well, I try to bring law to a lawless town so yes. You're not here to cause trouble are you?" He eyed her suspiciously. A playful smile crossed the mechanics lips.

"I don't cause trouble; I just have disagreements too violently."

"You seem like a nice kid so I'll let you off with that one."

"Wow, that's the first time someone has ever called me 'nice'"

"If you need anything, anything at all, you give me a holler"

"Can I ask you something?" The cowboy quirked an eyebrow.

"Shoot"

"Have you seen my father. Middle aged kinda guy? He's from a vault like me"

"Sorry kid, can't say I have." The curiosity bubble popped and a storm of disappointment clouded Alex's features. The cowboy sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Listen girl, I like you so I'll help you out this time. I did see a stranger pass through here not too long ago. Had purpose in his eyes, kinda like you but he doesn't match your description. I saw him last at the saloon" Lucas Simms explained and he pointed a finger towards the only speck of real light in the city; a seedy looking saloon at the top of town. Alex grinned gratefully, plotting a course up through the shackle of a town.

"Cheers"

"Anytime. Keep out of trouble now, I'd hate to waste bullets on ya" With that, the brunette turned on her heel and bolted up the nearby ramp onto the winding metal tree houses of Megaton. Nearly everyone stared as the girl passed them, some even stopping to whisper to a fellow resident. If Alex was more in tune with her surroundings, she probably would have noticed their stares. With the sight of the saloon pictured in her mind, the young mechanic bounded up and along the ramps and pathways; hoping against hope that she would find her father leaning over the counter of the bar alive and safe. Well, safe enough until she was through with him. As she climbed the last of the steps and skidded to a halt outside the pub, the girl felt a sickening twist in her stomach. What if her dad wasn't in the bar? What would she do? Alex shook her head, chasing her doubts in traps and storing them somewhere else for a later date. He just had to be inside. He just had to.

The Vault Dweller wretched the door open. Walked in. Took one look around and could have died died on the spot. No weathered, kind doctor. No Vault-Tec issued suit jumping out from behind a corner. Nothing. Alex glanced around and let despair cross her face. Just like the town, the squalid saloon was rundown and dark. A cocktail of shame, sweat and alcohol clung to the air in a rather unpleasant manner. The young woman's skin felt like it was going to run off without her but at least it was warm. There were a few residents present in the pub; a man who appeared to look like corpse minded the till, a few people sitting at the counter clutched glasses filled with amber liquid and a woman who looked to offer her services to anyone with too many caps and lots of time. Too disappointed to care further, the young woman let a frustrated sigh escape her chest.

What now?

The girl padded over to a bar stool and dropped herself onto it; her feet dangling a few inches off the ground. The man behind the counter eyed her warily as Alex fished out what little money she had on her person. A dead mercenary had provided her with a several fistfuls of bottle caps, the national currency of the Wasteland. Alex glanced at the bartender, noted his singed flesh and rotting body wanted to say something mean but didn't. The girl had simply stopped caring.

"Hey smoothskin, can I get you something? Anything at all?" he asked, his words far too guarded and careful.

"Something strong my good man" her tone was somewhat polite but heavy with exhaustion as she dropped the handful of bottlecaps onto the surface. The...man behind the counter almost dropped the glass he was cleaning.

"You're not going to hit me? Yell at me? Even berate me just a little?" he asked, disbelief written across his mangled face. The girl arched an eyebrow.

"I wasn't planning on it, do you want me to?" The man put down the glass and gather up the caps with a weak smile.

"No, no. It's just a surprise. I'm used to every smoothskin in this town giving me crap just because I look like a corpse. Nice to know there are still some worthwhile people left in the world," he explained, sliding over her change. "He would have my ass if he caught me selling at a discount, but for you, I'd risk it. I'm Gob" He reached a hand over to her. Taken back slightly, Alex stared for a second before reaching up and grasping in palm into a shake; an unpleasant enough experience she wasn't sure she wanted to repeat.

"Alexandra Halsey. My friends call me Alex. At least they would if I still had any" she replied bitterly. Gob threw her a sympathetic glance.

"Life in a Vault not everything it cracked up to be?" Alex suppressed a disgruntled snort.

"I was, quite literally, thrown out. Rather chased out actually like some bad dog," the young woman replied, acid dripping off her tongue as she took a swig of the amber poison in her glass.

"Sorry smoothskin, that must have sucked. If you need anything else, give me a shout," Gob remarked before turning his attention to another customer.

It wasn't until the girl downed the last of her whisky and was left alone with her thoughts when she became aware of something quite strange from the corner of her eye. Someone was watching her intently and had been for quite some time. Alex shuffled around on the seat, glass still clutched in her hands while green eyes scanned the bar cautiously. Sitting in the corner was strangest man the young woman had laid her eyes on, save from Gob. He was such a immense contrast to his surroundings that Alex was amazed she had missed him in the first place. One thing was for certain, he was beckoning her over. Against what little judgement the mechanic possessed, she swung off the barstool and approached him.

"My my, just when I had all but given up hope." His voice was smooth, trusting almost; if it was not for the fact that there was a Silenced 10mm pistol clipped to his belt. The gentleman in question was wearing a pristine white pinstripe business suit, a pre-war brown hat and a dashing pair of tortoiseshell glasses. He wore a sly smirk that practically screamed "come hither." It was an unavoidable fact that he was quite handsome.

"You talking to me?" the teenager asked, attempting to keep her tone level and detached. They both knew the answer.

"Why of course, now, would you care to sit down?" he replied with an enticing smile gracing his lips. Not returning his grin, Alex simply frowned back.

"I prefer to stand thanks," the young woman replied dryly, folding her arms across her chest. To his credit, Burke's grin did not falter in the slightest. If anything, the blue eyes hidden behind his sunglasses flashed in dangerous amusement.

"My dear boy, I am very happy to make your acquaintance. I am Mister Burke," he introduced, knitting his long fingers together. Alex's jaw tightened in obvious annoyance.

"I'm a girl," She hissed. The man stopped, shamelessly trailed his eyes over her short figure then let out a chuckle of laughter.

"Really? The line between boy and girl seems to be rather blurred these days." The girl felt a surge of rage but forced it down, determined not to give the stranger the reaction he was looking for.

"Really? Well, the line between your face and my fist will become rather blurred as well," the girl threatened; an empty one at that. Burke's mouth twisted into a dangerous smile, like he was enjoying her heated reaction. A flutter of vulnerability hit Alex; a revelation that people might not have actually found her threatening.

"Now now, we must remember our manners. We wouldn't want our business arrangement to get off on the wrong foot."

"What business arrangement?" The man chose to ignore Alex's comment. Or perhaps he just didn't hear.

"So, I have introduced myself, it is only polite for you to do the same" Mister Burke asked, his tone lined with silver.

"Alex. Alex Halsey. What's it to you?" The mechanic enquired hotly, trying to sound as unimpressed as possible but failing miserably. To her intense surprise, Burke simply chuckled at her words; infuriating the young woman further. People were not supposed to laugh at her.

It didn't happen.

Ever.

If Alex had been a bird, her feathers would have been ruffled beyond repair.

"Oh, you have a boy's name as well? How perfect." Alex attempted to rein in her anger and failed, the skin on her cheeks flaring up.

"Well if you must know, my first name is Alexandra. A girls name last time I checked. There, are you happy?" Alex fumed, steam practically billowing out of her ears. Burke let out a chuckle. He could hardly believe how easy it was to get this "Alex" character so worked up and he had barely known her for five minutes. She was going to end up on the bottom of someone's boot if she wasn't careful. And it was entirely possible that it would be his boot.

"Ecstatic. If you care to indulge me for a moment, am I right in assuming that you are indeed new to this 'capital wasteland'" he asked, dark eyes twinkling with curiosity. The Vault Dweller quirked an eyebrow.

"What gave it away? The big '101' stencilled on my back or the fact that I'm the only one out here who has heard of soap?" Alex retorted, kicking the ball back into his court. To his credit, the mysterious Mister Burke didn't falter for a second. If anything,

"Mind your manners. You'd do well to remember that out here, not everyone is as well manner as I" Burke shot back. Alex snapped her mouth shut and glared furiously at him.

"What do you want from me?" Alex scathed. The gentleman paused to surveyed the girl for a moment; eyes pausing on her features with interest before continuing.

"I'm glad you asked. I represent certain...interests. And those interests view this town, this 'Megaton', as a blight on an burgeoning urban landscape." Alex snorted.

"'Burgeoning?' You looked outside Megaton lately?" she asked shortly. Burke silenced her with a forceful glare before continuing.

"You have no interests here; no connections with cesspools affairs or fate. You could help us erase this little accident off the map. The undetonated Atomic bomb for which this town is named is still very much alive. All it needs is a little..._motivation_" Burke explained, his smooth voice thick with spite. At that moment, Alex was silenced for several seconds; allowing the implications of his words sink in. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat and wet her lips carefully. An action that did not go unnoticed by Burke.

"You're not planning on blowing up Megaton are you?" Alex asked with disbelief painted clearly across her features. The man chuckled at the naivety of the young woman.

"No no dear girl, I am merely the recruiter. You will get to have all the fun," he answered with a wicked grin. While shock stole Alex's voice, Burke grinned and leaned back in the armchair.

"Splendid, I have your rapt attention. Now listen closely. I have in my possession a fusion pulse charge, constructed for a _singular_ purpose. The detonation of that bomb. You rig it to the bomb. And you'll get paid. Handsomely. What do you say?" A gasp escaped Alex's chest, attempting to suppress her shock but failing miserably. Her shock swiftly turned to outrage.

"What the hell kind of person do you think I am?" she snapped back at him, green eyes gleaming. The gentleman let out a short cough and eyed the teenager carefully, evidently trying to decide whether or not he would have to kill her when she left the Saloon.

Which he considered to be quite a setback.

She was attractive, in a scruffy kind of way.

Shame she was turning out to be such a vulgar brat.

"What have I told you about manners Miss Halsey? Or must I teach you a lesson in civility?" A swell of anger rose within Alex but she forced it back down.

"That a threat?" The girl breathed feverishly, damn tempted to hit him in the face. Or at the very least stamp on his foot. Alex's sweltering pride prevented Burke from receiving a broken toe. The girl resolved herself to the fact that the man was goading her into a reaction; wanting her to snap so he could poke fun at her a second time as nicely as possible.

Suddenly, Burke stood up abruptly from his armchair and squished Alex's confidence swiftly with a crushing stare. He was tall; much taller than her at least and easily towered over her. Startled by the sudden turn of events, Alex glanced around behind her to find none of the patrons in the bar the least bit surprised. Or just ignoring the situation completely. Alex glared openly at him, grumbling under her breath that he had stunned her into checkmate.

"Only if you desire it to be," he mocked with an unidentifiable edge to his voice that she could not place. He sat back down, as if retreating from the fight. "So, does my proposal interest you?" Alex snorted, her confidence clawing its way back with a vengeance. Such was her desire to put the stranger in his place that Alex ignored all logically reasoning, all alarm bells that screamed disaster.

_Oh, I'll show you a proposal Mister Burke. Make no mistake about that._

The cogs within Alex's brain reeled away silently; adding up and calculating possible outcomes of the situation. Though Logical reasoning was hardly Alex's forte, she was smart enough to know that a good trap required good bait_._ Good "bait", the young brunette already possessed and the trap was a finely knitted web of words and enticing undertones. The young woman had all she required.

"Well, Mister Burke, I have a little 'proposition' of my very own. Would you like to hear it?" Behind shaded lenses, Burke's blue eyes flashed with sinful curiosity as he took the bait.

"Colour me intrigued. Go on," he replied, voice like liquid silk. The tigress moved in for the kill.

"Well that's the problem, lover, I live here and certainly you wouldn't want me to get hurt now would you?" Alex practically purred, a hand reaching up to play with a lock of brown hair innocently for the overkill. Her residence in Megaton wasn't exactly set in stone but he did not need to know that. The demeanour of Burke changed so rapidly that physicist would have been hard pressed to time it. A jumbled of mixed emotions danced behind his dark eyes and Alex was stumped to decipher their meanings.

"Well I...I uhm...I mean, no. Of course not. I must admit, I've never met a woman quite like you. This changes everything." A feline smirk pulled at Alex's lips.

"Now Mister Burke, what happened to 'boy'?" The said gentleman spluttered.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to tell Tenpenny, I'll think of something," Burke stated, his fluid and commanding tone all but diminished. He stared at her for a moment too longer than intended before he looked away; an indescribable look plastered all over his face. The plan worked flawlessly and Alex quirked her head to the side in an almost innocent manner.

Almost being the key word.

There was nothing innocent about Alex Halsey.

Nothing in the slightest.

"You wait here my dear. I have some important business to conclude in the wasteland. But you won't be waiting long, I will send for you soon."With that, Burke stood up to leave. As he left, his warm palm ghosted against the Vault dweller's bare arm. A sizzle of a connection sprang from his touch, causing warmth to spread up Alex's arm at impact. The girl shivered and Burke looked down sharply. The room around them suddenly felt smaller, contracting around them both. Alex extended out a slim finger and brushed it against his chest. The hitch of his breath was audible however faint it may have been.

"Take your time," she breathed, unaware of the equally intense stare lingering in her eyes. Burke let out a small, frustrated noise before miraculously backing off the fiery teenager and turning away from her. Unsure what to do with herself, the girl stuffed her hands into the pockets of her overalls and watched him retreat; completely unaware of the can of worms she had unwittingly released.

Alex recoiled back to her barstool, trying to avoid Gob's open stare. The girl trailed her finger across the top of her empty glass, studying a groove embedded on the worn countertop with a smug expression painted on her face. Alex was obnoxiously pleased with herself; her ego inflating as she recalled how quickly the tables had turned from Burke's favour. Alex stored the thought of the gentleman to the back of her mind, hoping she would never see him again.

"Hey Gob, know a place where a girl can get some sleep?" The ghoulish barkeep jerked his thumb towards the auburn haired woman in the corner.

"If your caps are good, Nova will set you up straight," Gob responded. At that moment, Alex's pockets chose to suddenly feel lighter.

"Probably only got about one thirty on me at the moment," Alex stated dryly.

"You would want to find some work tomorrow then."

"Huh, I'd have better luck getting back into the Vault." Gob shot what the girl assumed was a glare in her general direction.

"Kid, no one said life out here was easy."

"Isn't that the god honest truth?" With that, Alex slunk of the barstool and approached the ginger haired woman that Gob had gestured to. Pretty and spunky, Nova greeted the young brunette with a warm smile.

"Hey kid, haven't seen you about before," the woman purred, a hidden agenda blinking back at Alex. The said girl burrowed her hands into her pocket and scraped up the last of her bottlecaps. The bag supported on her shoulder was heavy with various items but the concept of exchanging worthless scraps of junk just had not occurred to her when she first stepped foot in the town. Her thoughts were not that organised.

"I just got here." Nova grinned playfully at her fellow brunette.

"I heard. You certainly did a number on that Burke character." A spark of interest fluttered in Alex's stomach at the mention of the mysterious man's name.

"What do you know about him?"

"Polite enough man I suppose. Makes my skin crawl though. There's nothing not quite right about the guy."

"Anything else?"

"Only that he was waiting for that certain someone to come along. Been here for a while, just waiting in that spot. Well, that's what Colin told me anyway"

"Colin? That someone I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet?" Alex remarked, her voice knee deep with sarcasm. The corners of Nova's mouth tweaked faintly before being coupled with a breath of laughter. It was dry and weak; almost like the copper haired woman had almost forgotten how to laugh altogether.

"You're alright kid."

"So I have been told. Countless times I might add."

"So what can I do you for this fine night?" Nova's response came in a fistful of bottlecaps.

"I need a bed for the night. This enough?" The copper haired woman carefully counted by the handful of caps Alex handed over then looked up with an indecisive frown set upon her lips.

"Just enough for a bed and some company." Alarms bells rang and Alex quirked an eyebrow.

"No offence Nova but you're not my type." Despite her comment, Nova did not appear to be defeated in the slightest. If anything, her alluring smile changed into a suggestive grin that Alex was not entirely sure she liked.

"The mysterious, suit wearing guys more 'your type'?" Alex subconsciously folded her arms across her chest, cheeks a patchy red.

"So, can I have the key to the room now?" A worn key was held out the brunette accompanied with a warm smile.

"Upstairs, middle room with the better bed. Sleep well kid." Nova remarked, her lines sounding somewhat rehearsed.

"Thanks Nova."

"Any time sugar."

Alex took the key and headed up the creaking stairs towards the room that Nova had directed her to. She was completely dead on her feet; functioning on Autopilot alone. The young girl inserted the key and flopped into the room; taking care to lock it behind her. A simple double bed took up space in the center of the room; grimy and hardly up to Vault-Tec standards. The furniture was haggard and most likely broken. Alex wondered if the bed even had springs. The Vault Dweller wrinkled her nose in disgust but dropped her sack on a nearby chair. She struggled out of her clothing, and being such a tidy individual, left them strewn all over the floor without a second thought. She kicked her boots off and flopped down onto the bed.

The girl was asleep before she hit the pillow.

* * *

**Zomg, I thought the first chapter would never end. It's so gosh darn long. Yeah, now that I read this over, there are a few things I'm not entirely happy about. Probably mostly the dialogue with Burke, describing when Alex first sees Megaton and the concept regarding currency. I should have fixed the fact that she knew about the currency without being out the vault for five minutes. But I'm just so darn lazy I can't be bothered fixing it. To do so, would mean that I would have to write lots more dialogue, more description and generally more nonsense. I want this chapter to end (I'm just fed up of this chapter to be completely honest) Been working on it for far too long D: Remember children, this is the Fallout Universe and not everything has to make logically reasoning.**

**I hope proofed. My brain is frazzled.**

**Thanks for reading children and have a lovely day!**


	2. Chapter Two: Dirty Hands

**A/N: Zomg! You guys are freaking awesome! I thought my story was so crappy that I would never get any reviews. I was fretting about the first chapter for ages! But thanks for the reviews, two faves and an alert! Thank you to all those who read, and an even bigger thank you to: MysticGohan88, Agent Hellgirl (Read her Fallout story damnit!) Shinsou808 (Ditto for him!), VaultDweller and Ambassadorofpeace! Thanks again guys!**

**Anyway, a quick word before you read. I'm very glad that Alex is real enough. I was really worried about how I had developed her and it was kinda tricky to describe how angry she gets. You'll see some more character and relationship developments in this chapter. I will warn you now, this chapter is kind of boring but it is really merely a stepping stone for the next one. Also, I'm happy to see the Pip-Boy developments were well received. I was expecting flames for that D: Enough from me, onwards!**

**Anyway, Thanks again guys!**

* * *

**Fallout 3:** The Wayward Solider

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"As you walk in the crowded empty spaces  
And you stare at the emptiness around you  
You wanna go to the city and the bright lights  
And get away from the sinners that surround you****"  
****-DJ Tiesto, In The Dark**

**Chapter Two:** Dirty Hands

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the cracks of the ceiling, poking Alex Halsey sharply in the eye. One lid cracked open to reveal bloodshot hues of green, surveyed her surroundings then rolled over in rented, grimy bed and pulled the covers over her head with a groan. As she did so, fragments of memories and recollections flooded back; slotting themselves into the correct position in her brain so that everything up till that point made sense. The girl grumbled from under the blankets, choosing that time to realise that just how badly the bed smelled. She wrinkled in nose in disgust and pushed the suffocating covers back and drew in a sharp breath of clean enough air.

The girl did not sleep well the night before; the blankets itched uncontrollably, she was either too warm or too cold, everything about the room seemed to annoy her and most of all...she was distracted. Now what bothered the young woman the most was that she didn't know why she was distracted. Whatever it was, it tickled and nagged and refused to go away.

Muttering incoherently, Alex kicked the blankets off her bare legs and reached for her clothing that she expected to find strewn about the bedroom. She stifled a squeak of shock. After all, one could have only imagined her surprise when she found all of her clothing folded up neatly and placed carefully on the nearby chair. Who had done that? The mechanic was so sure that she had locked the door behind her. Perhaps it was Gob or Nova? They were bound to have had another set of keys.

Of course, that had to be it.

She flicked the message from her father into the audio player in her Pip-Boy and played it over several times, trying to make sense of the somewhat vague message. What had been so important to him that he felt it necessary to keep his only daughter in the dark? The betrayal within Alex increased tenfold and in a fit of rage, she ejected the tape and childishly threw it against in the wall furiously. For some reason, her violent display did nothing to quell the bitterness within the pits of her stomach.

"Mornin lass, how is my wee bairn today?" Her Pip-Boy remarked from her wrist. Alex tapped his glowing screen in response.

"Fine. Now what time is it?"

"It's not that late, only half eight."

Thinking nothing of it, Alex simply shrugged to herself and pulled on her jumpsuit; tightly securing the sleeves around her waist. She preferred it that way; the big "101" stitching on her back felt like a white hot brand. And she would much rather forget the Vault for the moment.

Alex picked up her heavy leather sack, finally managing to bring herself to look into it almost twenty four hours after she left the vault. Fingertips trembled as the girl undid the leather cords and unbuckled the straps. Inside sat several or more various items that Amata had managed to pack in the heat of the moment. A grateful smile tugged at Alex's lips as she pulled out a number of highly useful items stored within her bag. Despite the chaos that clutched the Vault when Alex had made her swift departure, Amata had managed to pack essential objects including a good few bottles of purified water and a number of Stimpacks stolen from the medical bay. Alex turned the bag upside down and proceeded to shake it roughly like she would a naughty puppy. A treasure trove of radiation medications and personal effects spilled out onto the bed. Alex's charm bracelet, fresh tank tops, packs of ration cubes, bobby pins, pistol ammo and sewing thread were just some of the items that were stuffed into every nook and cranny of the worn sack. On top of all, the pockets were overflowing with junk she had collected on the run. There was plenty to trade and the young woman was half surprised the bag hadn't spilt in two while she was walking to Megaton.

The girl heaved her sack onto her shoulder and headed down the treacherous staircase once more. The bar hadn't changed overnight and Alex was less than surprised to find the same people she left the night before still there, sipping away at amber coloured liquid in faded green tumblers. The young woman glanced at the armchair were Burke sat the previous night and felt an all too familiar pang to find it empty. Gob greeted her with a smile when she handed her room key back over, choosing to ignore the disgruntled expression on her face.

"Not going to stay another night?"

The brunette tapped her empty pockets. "Not unless you accept peanuts instead of caps."

"Peanuts?"

"Forget it. Know a place where I can get some work?" Gob put down the glass he was cleaning to think for a moment.

"Careful Gob, you might sprain something," Alex remarked snidely. Sure enough, the cogs inside his brain was finely tuned that day for he suddenly brightened up. Leaning over the counter, he signalled for Alex to do the same and the girl could not help but stare for a moment. After all, she had not heard of a Ghoul until the previous night much less had a good look at one up close. It was a face that only a mother could love. Dull blue eyes stared back at her, glazed over a fine white to make seem all the more zombie-like. Hollow out patches in his cheek gave the girl a clear view of the inner workings of his jaw and the place where his nose should have been was vacant.

He was absolutely fascinating.

"Keep this between you and me friend but apparently Walter, the old mechanic, needs some help at the Water Processing Plant."

"I hope he can pay. I'm broke"

"I hear he is willing to pay for help."

"How do you know all of this Gob?" The said ghoul tapped the gap where his nose should have been and Alex could not help but wince. She would never get used to that.

"I work in a bar. I hear all sorts of things when I'm not getting slapped around the customers." Alex stared at him like he had just grown a second head right then and there in front of her. It was a look Gob was accustomed to.

"Say Gob, can I ask you something?"

"Anything for you friend."

"You haven't seen my father have you. Middle aged man. Sort of looks like me." Gob's facial expression twitched slightly in remembrance and a stab of relief speared the young Vault Dweller.

"I do remember seeing someone like that. He wasn't here long, spoke with Mister Moriarty though. You should ask him."

"Come on Gob, I need to find my dad. If you know something, you'd better tell me." Unfortunately for Alex, she was all but deaf to the tone of her voice. Defensive instincts kicked in and Gob crossed his flayed arms across his chest in an mirror imitation of her own.

"Sorry smoothskin, I can't take the risk. Moriarty will have my head for even taking to you." The ghoul looked terrified at the very thought.

"Figures," Alex grumbled, slouching down on the counter; her forehead pressed against the cool plating of the countertop.

"Hey, don't die in here. Take it outside" The brunette raised her russet haired head and blew a raspberry in his general direction.

"I wonder if it's not too late to crawl back under that rock" Gob snorted at Alex; the foolish, wannabe badass, teenager. Who did not fully understand the value of Caps. If Alex was not careful, she would end up getting squashed by someone bigger and tougher than her...Saying that, Gob eyed Alex thoughtfully; despite the fact that he barely knew her, Gob was positively endeared to the girl. If he had a sister, Gob wished her to be Alex. She was fresh out of the Vault; wilful and probably completely mad but possessed a good soul beneath that angry and slightly spoilt facade. He had silently observed her encounter with Burke; a man that no one had dared to talk to unless they wanted a verbal slapping.

The brunette received all that and more but bravely stuck to her guns and somehow, sent the mysterious Burke packing. Gob bristled slightly, remembering the smouldering stare that the mysterious Burke shot Alex when he left. The ghoul had seen that look often.

Nearly every man who had encountered Nova wore that expression at one point. Gob shook his head and turned his attention back to the tiny girl perched upon the barstool in front of him.

"Listen my friend, If it were up to me, I'd be long gone from here"

"Why don't you just leave?"

"Well...actually I'm sort of stuck here. I have to pay off my debts to Moriarty but he charges me room and board as well." Alex scowled.

"Bummer god Sounds like this Moriarty guy is a real charmer. Where is the guy anyway?"

"Outside."

"What? just right outside the Saloon?"

"Did I stutter?"

"You can't answer a question with a question Gob"

"Sorry mum."

"You should be." Gob cracked what could have been considered a smile.

"Go away Alex, you're giving me a headache. See Moriarty, He will know where your dad has gone."

"Alright but before I go, did you or Nova come into my room last light?"

"Only Moriarty has got another key. And he went to bed when I did I." Gob gave her a firm stare, not liking where the conversation was going. "Why?" Alex bit her lip and looked away, suddenly becoming increasingly fascinated with a scorch mark on the bench top.

"Nah, it's nothing. I just must have dreamt it." The ghoul shot her a slanting glance that Alex was entirely sure she didn't like but thankfully, he dropped the subject without another word

"Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?" Gob asked firmly. Alex grimaced, suddenly remembering the weight of her sack upon her back.

"Alright, alright. I'm going. See you later Gob," Alex waved before exiting the rundown saloon, glad to put the experience of her first night in the Wasteland behind her. Megaton was hot, and a fractious feeling clung to the morning air. Despite the early hour, Megaton was energetic and thriving. Though the town looked even worse in the luminous daylight than it did when she arrived, it was busy and felt very much alive. Sterile corridors and empty rooms was what the brunette had grown accustomed to.

It wasn't until Alex heard someone clear their throat right next to her that she realised that was she was not alone. Standing next to the small brunette was the man she figured for Moriarty. Like everyone else in Megaton, he was much taller than her and much older. Sly blue eyes stared back at her; narrowed and calculating as he watched her intently. He wore a sleeveless duster coat over a white shirt and grey trousers of similar material. On his feet were adorned with cap boots; most likely encased with steel on the toes. The man wore an impatient frown coupled with an air of irritation.

"Let me guess. Another Wastelander looking for a job in me saloon. Well lass, I've got plenty of staff already so ye can just take a hike. Unless you're here to bury yeh sorrows in alcohol," The man stated irritably, his Irish accent so thick upon that Alex was sure he must have been laying it on. The brunette folded her arms across her chest and glared openly at the man she guessed was Moriarty.

"That how you treat all your customers?" Alex snapped, her tone steeled and razor sharp. The man chuckled and would have probably ruffled her russet haired head had she not taken a step backwards in time.

"Well aren't yeh the feisty _little_ runt of the litter?" The "runt's" face darkened.

A height joke.

Lovely. Just what they needed to get off on the right foot. Alex's short temper pulled against its chains of restraint.

"I'm not 'little' okay?"

"Yeah, and the Titanic was only a little bit wet." The Vault dweller opened her mouth to say something preferably rude but snapped her jaw shut, silencing her comment. Her next words were forced through clenched teeth.

"I hear you're the one who knows where James Halsey might have run off to," Alex enquired, irritation simmering away at the surface; threatening to spill over any moment.

Again, Easier said than done.

Moriarty's demeanour suddenly switched the moment the words left her mouth; rapidly so that Alex almost regretted asking him. The man then looked at her properly; staring at her to a point where the girl could almost feel his eyes burning holes into the back of her skull. There must have been something amusing about her appearance for Moriarty suddenly laughed heartily.

"My god it's you! The little baby girl, all grown up. Persistent little flower aren't' ya?"

"Excuse me?"

"You wouldn't remember me lass. You were too young. You and your father stayed in my saloon years ago" It was like someone had switched off Alex's voice box completely. "That's right, your father, his Brotherhood of Steel friend and you; a suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry about your mum. Truly." Alex threw the man a sceptical glance, folding her arms neatly across her chest; a sure sign of her straining frustration. Alex wanted to hit him but thought better of it.

"What you are talking about? I was born in the vault-" She was cut off by a snort of laughter from the Irishman.

"Is that what your dad told you? That you were born in the hole? That he was born there as well. Oh the lies we tell to those we love." The brunette stared him with disbelief splattered across her face, completely stunned. Questions exploded inside her head like a million megaton detonations and Alex wasn't sure what she wanted to ask first. The girl stared Moriarty's grinning face and felt disgusted at the sight of him. The man was lying. He just had to be. Alex unclenched her jaw so she could speak.

"That's complete crap Moriarty and you know it! My dad would never lie to me." Again, the man laughed at her. Alex's anger spiked up the Richter scale and she mumbled a few little obscenities under her breath.

"Oh I see. I have heard of the brain washing that goes on down there, 'All hail the Overseer, all hail the Overseer. We're born in the vault, we die in the fault' and all that assorted lunacy" Moriarty mocked. The Vault dweller's cheeks flared up a bright red in a mixture of aggravation and embarrassment. "Listen kid, you've got better programming than our own deputy weld. You'd best wise up quick. You wouldn't anyone...taking of advantage of ya hmm?" Alex's skin rippled, threatening to run off without her.

"Okay, say I believe everything you've said just for the sake of argument, how much for my dad's location?" Moriarty leaned back against the railing of the banister and shot her a toothy grin. Alex toyed with the idea of pushing him over the edge of the railing and ending her troubles for good.

"You catch on quick kid. Your father raised a smart kid. Speaking of dear old dad, One hundred caps and Daddy's location is yours." Alex gawked openly at the Saloon owner; green eyes practically bulging out of her head. One hundred caps was almost enough for a bed for the night. Heck, with that, she could probably eat for two weeks.

Whatever patience Alex possessed snapped two, maybe three or four times.

"Are you nuts? I don't have that kind of money," Alex exclaimed loudly, causing several passersby to stare with interest. Moriarty sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with weathered fingers. The girl was quickly becoming one of his_ least_ favourite people in Megaton. The spot of his most loathed would always be occupied by Lucas Simms but now...He glanced at the fuming teenager; the scowl plastered across her pretty face put him in mind of a particularly stubborn Brahmin. The kind that were slaughtered quickly. Pity, she could have been so _useful _if James had stamped out her rebellious nature when she was younger.

"Guilty as charged." The brunette opened her mouth and let her words drip freely of her tongue as if were her own saliva.

"Just tell me where he is and I won't beat the crap out of you," Alex threatened, too angry to be diplomatic. Her fists balled tight enough to draw blood and from her wrist, her Pip-boy hummed gently; as if making a vain attempt to quell her anger.

To Alex's obvious dismay, Moriarty did nothing but let out another string of laughter; howling away like a hyena. Alex could have died on the spot; furious beyond all reasoning as yet another one of her threats had gone ignored. The Saloon owner wiped a tear from his eye, practically in stitches from laughter while the younger female fumed silently.

"I'll chalk that one up to youthful ignorance."

"You don't think I wouldn't do it?" Moriarty shot her a hard stare and pulled out a battered pack of cigarettes then proceeding to light one up.

"Raise a hand to me kid and you'll never leave this town alive." This time, Alex snorted with irritation and Moriarty was not sure that her frustration was directed at him or his statement. He studied her face expression, concluding that it was probably a bit of both.

"I'll keep that in mind," The girl snapped, not bothering to bit back her bitterness. Moriarty sighed before taking another puff from his cigarette. Alex could not tell if he was annoyed by her ignorance or if he was just tired of talking so much.

_Nah, Moriarty could never grow tired of hearing himself talk_, she thought coyly.

"However, because I am such a nice guy, I'll help you out for old times sake," Moriarty said, taking a deep drag from his cancerous stick an examining the curls of smoke thoughtfully.

Alex huffed.

"I'm not going to like this am I?"

"Probably not. If you don't have the caps to pay for the information then perhaps you can help me with a little problem."

"Go on."

"This junkie bitch named Silver borrowed quite a few caps off me. Said she could selling me jet at a low price, only she ran and took the Caps with her."

"Yeah? What's that got to do with me?"

"Kill her, and the Caps are yours. Well, yours to pay me with."

"Done. Where is she hiding out?"

"That's a good lass. She's hold up in Springvale. Now on you go, scoot." Alex pulled a disgruntled face and turned stomped away from the man, curses steaming out of her lips. Dealing with Moriarty had been an experience that she was not willing to repeat. The young woman would have much rather been in the company of wolves. "That dirty jerk, I ought to show him a thing or two," Alex continued to grumble, not really paying attention to what she was saying or why. By now, Alex's brain was in overdrive, pre-occupied with the gruelling prospect of her impending task. She was stirred from her mental ravine by the sudden and all too familiar sensation of ice flooding into the base of her skull alerted her to the presence of her Pip-Boy.

_What would yeh father say if he caught wind of this_? Her Pip-Boy whirled from her wrist, opening a link between her brain wave frequency and his own artificial one; a sort of private channel that he used so they could communicate without interference. And without making Alex look even madder than usual. It was the same similar concept for the radio and the V.A.T.S. It was possible to close off the channel completely but Alex had come to rely on his company. More so now than ever.

_I'm not going to kill her unless I have to okay? _The Pip-Boy released what was supposed to be a sigh and dropped the subject. _Where is this Springvale anyway? _Her Pip-Boy brought up the co-ordinates of the town, only maybe a couple of miles outside of Megaton. It was a town they had already passed on the way to Megaton and neither of them could recall finding any houses remotely habitable. Then again, they had not scouted the place properly. The girl looked up, only to find herself at the gates. She secured the straps on her bag and smoothed out her Vault-Tec overalls before leaving the settlement for Springvale.

* * *

It didn't take long for Alex to resolve the situation in Springvale without any violence. Silver turned out to be a rather twitchy blonde woman hiding out in the only habitable house in Springvale. She was pretty with silvery blonde hair and large blue eyes. She had certainly earned her name as looks went and Alex could not help but feel rather plain when standing in her presence. The woman explained her situation to the Vault Dweller and the pair struck a deal. Four hundred caps and Alex would tell the Saloon owner that Silver was dead. The woman was grateful and shared a bottle of whiskey with her before the brunette set off back to Megaton with four hundred caps in her back pocket.

As soon as she returned, Alex headed straight for the town merchant; following the crudely made signs up across various walkways until she reached a surprisingly large building. It was in better condition than some of the other constructions and the front of the shop appeared to be made out the cockpit of an airbus. After a somewhat strange encounter with the eccentric owner of Craterside supply, Alex left the shop with a lighter load; an assault rifle, a few medical supplies and two hundred caps to spare. Enough for another night in the saloon if the situation called for it. In her other hand was a request for a research assistant from the owner of the store, Moria Brown; who was _at least _two sticks short of the full bundle. The red haired mechanic had inherited the store from her grandfather after he passed away so Moria Brown had been running the store for almost ten years. Despite her irritatingly eccentric attitude, Moria was a loved member of the Megaton community. As a gesture of good faith, Moria had presented Alex a modified 101 Jumpsuit; a substantially more armoured version of her former overalls and a notice for a research assistant.

With the jumpsuit clutched in one hand, the young woman read over the messy scrawl before scanning the document through her Pip-Boy; a thin optical bar no wider than a pinhead scanned, captured the indentations in the paper then arranged the words into a data file stored in the memory banks of her Pip-Boy. Disgruntlement pulled at Alex's face as she stuffed the note into her overall pockets and scanned the town for the water processing plant that Gob had mentioned earlier that morning.

It didn't take long for the young girl to find the unsurprisingly rundown building with the words "Water Processing Plant" hastily scribbled on the side. Several lead pipes jutted out from under the building; running down the crater and spiking off in every direction like a piece of abstract art. Alex pushed the door open and came face to face with the most derelict equipment she had ever seen in her entire life. The girl knew the Vault's plumbing equipment was pretty old but Megaton's was even worse. Corroded lead conduits groaned and shook with age as water was constantly funnelled through and sent off to every part of the town, a continuous sloshing of water gurgled beneath her booted feet and chlorine clutched the air. The girl touched the walls gingerly and her fingerprints left blurred mark upon the walls; a deep and thick powder of Limescale seemed to coat every surface of the shack.

"Hello? Anyone in this bucket?" Alex called, not expecting an answer in the slightest. Imagine the look on her face when she actually got one. The wrinkled figure of an old mechanic stepped from a cramped workspace that she assumed was his office. He had a kind face, the colour of worn leather. Age lines pulled at every corner of his weathered face and his chin was covered in a sprouting of thick white hair. Weary dark eyes stared back at her, troubled with worry under the surface. It was a look that Alex was familiar with, in Stanley if she called correctly. He was dressed in pale blue overalls and clutched pipe wrench in his left hand. His jaw was fixed into a hard frown.

"Watch it kid. This bucket has kept the town supplied with clean water for years now," the old mechanic warned. Alex almost laughed but decided against it. Amata's warning still hung over her and Alex wasn't entirely sure it would be wise to irritate yet another resident of Megaton. "Looks like you could use some help here," Alex remarked, her hands sliding into her pocket and trying her utmost best to appear genuine. The old mechanic nodded and threw a tired glance her way while he collected up stray components from floor; tossing them into a large steel container.

"It's no secret that this place-" he silenced a nearby gurgling pipe with a swift kick, "Is falling to pieces. I haven't got the time to fix the leaks all over town when I'm needed here."

"I could give you a hand."

"Heh, what experience have you had with mechanics stranger?" Alex let a grin crack over her face.

"Vault-Tec Mechanical Specialist. Third Grade. None better if I do say so myself. Good enough for you?" A smile cracked across the old man's face, revealing a gap on the side of his mouth.

"Grab a tool belt and hop to it. I'll pay you sixty six caps each leak you fix."

"How many are there?"

"From the pressure in the pipes, I'd say about three." An audible snap came from the direction of the redhead as she clipped her tool belt around her overalls.

"Yeah, I saw one on the way into town."

"The other two are somewhere else."

"Can I leave my stuff here?"

"Sure thing. What's your name kid?"

"Alexandra, well, Alex at least."

"'Alexandra'? Huh? I thought you were a boy."

"Shut up" Alex snapped, her tone flippant with disrespect.

"Don't screw up now." Alex waved a hand dismissively, as if insulted by the thought. The girl turned on her booted heel and with a flurry of dark locks, she was out the door. The old man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache approach fast and knew the likely cause.

Nice enough girl. Shame she was such an arrogant brat.

Outside the Water Processing plant, the girl crossed several bridges and slid down a good few slopes to reach the first leak she had passed the night before. It was at an odd angle so she had difficulty crouching comfortably. The sheriff greeted Alex with a warm smile when she squatted down next to the fractured pipelines

"Nice to see someone fixing those, didn't think it would be you though."

"Need the caps. Heck, I'll take almost any job at the moment," Alex replied and she pulled out a Pipe Wrench; a rare old Stillson model that had certainly seen better days. Applying weight onto the wrench, Alex placed a gloved hand upon the pipe and turned the loose bolt with a moderate amount of pressure. The girl didn't turn too quickly or hard, wary that too much weight would damage the already fragile duct. The sheriff watched her with interest but Alex was so engrossed in her work that she simply didn't notice. Sure enough, as the bolt got harder to turn, the sharp jet of water slowed to a simple and weak spray. The redhead picked out another wrench with smaller jaws and made quick work of the minor bolts that were weak around the base of the pipe. The young woman then gripped the pressure valve and tightened it slightly; causing the weak spray to cease altogether.

"You're pretty handy with a wrench girl." A snide comment lingered on Alex's tongue. And who was she to ignore it?

"I'm even better at hitting people with it."

"Don't be a smartass now."

"Who are you? My father?"

Thank god I'm not your father. I don't think I could have raised such a bitchy brat like you." Alex snapped her mouth shut, not expecting such stinging comeback from a complete stranger. The sheriff watched her intently but he did not appear angry despite her total lack of respect. Alex quirked an eyebrow at him, lips set in a pursed fashion. It looked as if the meta-cowboy was about to drop a bombshell.

"You don't happen to know how to disarm an Atomic bomb do you?" A wide smile broke out across the young womans face, revealing a slightly chipped canine.

"Of course I do. "Disarming undetonated Atomic Bombs 101" was my favourite chapter in school," the Vault Dweller remarked, her ego inflating to twice its normal size.

"Well then Little Miss Mechanic, maybe you'd be able to take a crack at it. I expect you'll want some kind of compensation."

"I wouldn't say no."

"Alright, one hundred caps."

"Please tell me you can better than that. This is the safety of your town." The sheriff thought for a moment or two, calculating the numbers up in his head. Alex applauded him for his effort for the Vault Dweller could barely add two and two together without getting confused.

"Alright, three hundred." The brunette cracked a smile.

"Done," she agreed quickly before he could change his mind.

The sheriff threw her a wary glance, almost as if he was regretting his decision. "Don't blow us up now" Alex huffed and threw up her hands up in the air, seemingly insulted by his lack of confidence.

"Of course I won't. I haven't got butterfingers you know."

"Good luck kid."

"Why do people always assume the worst of me?" Alex hitched up her loose boiler suit up around narrow hips. The jumpsuit she wore was at least three sizes too big for her and previous belonged to Stanley's son; a string bean of a Mechanic that she got on well with despite their clash of personalities. Alex checked the pipe once more before stalking off on to the next one near the common house. Lucas Simms watched her depart before releasing a tired sigh.

Decent enough girl, he supposed. Shame she could be such a bitchy brat.

* * *

The sky had been painted a dull shade of murky orange before Alex finally finished up all her jobs for the day and collected her rewards. An ecstatic Walter had rewarded her with two hundred caps and a request for any scrap metal. Lucas Simms had been more than generous to the rowdy teenager, presenting her with three hundred caps as well as a deed to an empty house in Megaton. For that, Alex was thankful. Meant she wouldn't have to pay Nova for a bed every night and save a hundred and twenty caps a night. Fatigued pulled at every joint in her body shrieked for rest. Moriarty would have to wait, Alex needed sleep.

Disarming the Megaton bomb had been quite a challenge and had taken the help of a blood red Mentat pill before she had the nerve to disarm the thing. For some strange and unfathomable reason, Alex had felt her thoughts shift to the mysterious Burke the moment she cut the cord that linked the reactor to the undetonated timer. If the man made good on his promise (which she did not doubt in the slightest) he would come back to Megaton and find the bomb completely useless. Alex hoped she would not be around when he found out it had been disarmed.

And more especially, _who_ had done it.

She could almost imagine his face expression in her mind – probably a mixture of horrified shock and complete outrage.

A weary smile pulled at her lips the very thought and Alex pushed the shack door open. It was a modest sized house, bigger than her quarters inside Vault 101 but sparely adorned. Despite the apparent flimsiness of the walls, they were surprising sturdy. She dropped her travelling sack near a set of lockers and breathed in the smell of her new home. The ceiling sagged somewhat with age and the house had a musty smell that tasted distinctly like the inside of a wool shoe. The previous owner was probably a mechanic for various broken tools and scrap were piled in a corner near a weathered workbench. Upon further investigating of the stairs landing, Alex found a simple desk and a bed and another footlocker had housed several blankets. She took out a few and wrinkled her nose slightly in disgust at the filthiness of the wool blankets.

On the plus side, At least it was better than Moriarty's. The girl swallowed the lump of hesitation in her throat and quickly made up her bed, desperate for sleep.

It wasn't until Alex heard an almost silent buzz that whirling away that she realised she was not alone in the house. The insistent buzzing grew louder and louder until The brunette peeked her head out the bedroom door. The door next to hers swung open Alex fell backwards in shock. A Mister Handy came floating out, humming a merry tune to himself. Just like the Mark II model, Andy, back in the Vault, his body was constructed from large sphere with three robotic limbs; each highly flexible and holding a small arsenal in each limb. He let out a synthesized noise that Alex guessed was his equivalent of a gasp.

"I am sorry Madam, I did not see you there. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Wadsworth your person butler and I am here to attend to your person needs. Is there anything you require of me today?" He asked cheerfully in a businesslike, English accent. Alex waved him off, embarrassed that the Robotic butler had given her such a fright. Her Pip-Boy, too drained of energy to speak, simply flashed dimly on her wrist; operating on his emergency batteries only.

Alex felt the same way.

"I'm going to bed, make sure that I'm not disturbed until 0830." The brunette turned and flopped down onto her bed, not bothering to change out of her jumpsuit.

"Of course Madam, I am fully equipped to deal with-" Alex never found out who he was equipped to deal with for the young woman was asleep before Wadsworth even finished computing his sentence.

* * *

**Here I am to bore you to death again. Aren't you lucky? **

**And that's chapter two finished! Fairly boring but it's really only a stepping stone to chapter three. Some of chapter three is already done. Hopefully, Dogmeat will show up then and poor Alex won't just have to rely on the ravings of a mad Scotsman's for company. Needs cleaning up but my Beta is still unavailable at the moment so I figured I would just go ahead and post this up. When he comes back, I'll get it edited. I suppose I skipped out a lot but it would just take up way too much space if I included everything Alex did at every second of every day.**

**Thanks for reading guys!**


	3. Chapter Three: The Road Less Travelled

**You guys are wonder! Lots of nice reviews! I feel very loved! A big thanks to everyone who read and an even BIGGER thanks to the follow: MysticGohan88, Agent Hellgirl (Her Fallout story rocks! Yay for Jericho!) Dumbrat, VaultDwelers, AmbassadorOfPeace, LovelyXXMelody (Read her Fallout fics!) and Netbreaker0 who gave me inspiration for part of the chapter!  
Same story with the Beta, my brother won't be back until Xmas so I have to hope my suckage correcting will do for now.  
Enjoy guys and leave me a review if you can. It makes me happy to know my late night typing sessions aren't a total waste! :D **

**Fallout 3: The Wayward Soldier  
**

Today's chapter inspired by:  
**"Fire your guns,  
It's time to run,  
Blow me away.  
I will stay in the mess I made  
After the fall,  
We'll shake it off,  
Show me the way"  
-Breaking Benjamin, Blow Me Away  
**

**Chapter Three: **The Road Less Travelled

* * *

Blood had been spilt on the sky when Alex set off; carrying everything she owned inside her wrinkled old leather sack. She sold everything she could and saddled up before she left the gates; Semi-repaired assault slung on her shoulder, belts of ammo strapped her stomach, Stimpaks stored in her main pockets and a few syringes of Med-X were carefully slotted into her back pockets. A quick encounter with Doctor Hoff and his travelling caravan allowed her to purchase various drugs beneficial of the coming hike. After paying Moriarty his fee, her Pip-boy had plotted an optimal route for her to travel; straight over to the old ruins of a Super Duper Mart then onwards to Farragut Metro West Station. According to Doctor Hoff, She would have to get across the river somewhere along her travels but the young woman waved it off dismissively; suggesting that she would quite literally cross that bridge when she came to it. Or at the very least, swim.

"Thanks kid. Good luck to you now," Doctor Hoff waved to the retreating figure of Alex Halsey. The said brunette returned the friendly gesture and started on the hike to the capital city. The girl slid down slopes and sandstone, clambered over granite rocks and jumped over several pools of...well, Alex was not quite sure what it was but wasn't eager to push her luck so early in the morning.

The road Alex travelled was barren and listless, unnerving her in a way she had not expected. The ground was hard; crunching loudly beneath her heavily booted feet and seemed to be colour of dried blood or perhaps just rust. The landscape was sparse, with very little shrubbery springing up through the sun cracked soil and empty husks of townships and roads littered the land. Even the phantom bushes and plants were hard pressed to support themselves. What stung Alex more than anything was the constant silence around her. The girl was used to constant social contact with other people so the silence left her uneasy with a faint weary longing to meet someone out on the road.

Someone.

Anyone.

Alex huffed while she heaved herself upon the surface of a smooth granite boulder; the denim kneecaps of her armoured Vault suit becoming increasing grimy. Since when had she become so soft?

On the route, she scavenged what she could from various wreckages such as old silo barns and it wasn't too long before Alex reached the crippled shell that was once stocked and plentiful department store. Just another empty carcass upon a dead and desolate map. She eased her way up carefully through the prickly shrubbery and slid down cautiously into a ditch. She peered up in an almost sheepish manner that was quite unlike her usual self. A small group of what she assumed were raiders patrolled the outer perimeter. Crouching down in the dust and dirt, Alex sunk back and unhooked her assault rifle. She would have rather not fought with them; not willing to waste the ammo before reaching the capital. Breathing down in the sand, Alex surveyed the area with sharp green eyes and toyed with the idea of simply sneaking straight around rather than a full on assault. The two sides of her brain argued for a further five minutes before the right side finally won out.

As careful and silently she knew how, Alex slid down the slope but her boot chuffed hit a large rock and caused a domino effect for several others. The girl cursed and looked down towards the Mart. The raiders responded as expected of them and fired off several rounds in her general direction. Dropping flat on her belly and foolishly winding herself in the process, Alex shuffled forward to crouch behind the cover of a large stone face. Although their efforts were obviously futile, bullets continued to rain upon the rock face. Alex was not nearly close enough to let any rounds off and her gun skills were severely lacking to chance attempting to snipe them off with her assault rifle. She was effectively pinned. They had numbers and ammo under her and an attempt to run would be suicide.

"How many have we got?" Alex asked over the hailstorm of bullets. Her Pip-Boy whirled in response, scanning the area around them. A total of five raiders lit up like a Christmas tree on her combat Hub.

"From the looks of it lass, we be looking at about five or so," He responded, a little too eager for his own good. Alex squashed her back against the cleft in the stone face, her assault rifle pressed hard against her pounding chest.

Her lucky break came when the hailstorm of bullets abruptly stopped and the audible clicking fresh magazines being clipped into place could be heard even at Alex's hiding spot. The girl seized her opportunity and darted forward as quickly as possible; covering as much ground as her stubby legs could carry her. She dived behind another a crevice just as another storm fired up again but at least she was closer.

"Now?" Her Pip-Boy asked. A slightly demonic grin broke out across Alex's face.

"Now."

Alex blinked once and the sensation of cool gel pooled over her vision. The world became a startling green and blurred slightly except for her targets. Time stooped and Alex popped up from behind her stone orifice and shot off several rounds of 556mm from the nose of her rifle. Either she was actually aiming right or luck was on her side, Alex did not care when three of the raiders dropped to the ground like rocks. The surviving raiders fired at the surprised girl like nothing had happened.

Something hard penetrated Alex's left shoulder, accompanied with a spray of blood. It took her a few moments to realise that it was indeed her blood. Quite stunned, the girl slid down in a crumpled heap just in time to narrowly miss a hail of rounds. The audible thumping of metal colliding with rock was unmistakable. Silent clipping claimed the storm and Alex winced from her hiding spot; hand clasped over her seeping wound. The girl fumbled into her pocket for a Stimpak and injected the drug into her left shoulder. The chemicals in the syringe worked their magic quickly; speeding up the regeneration of her damaged cells and tissues from weeks to minutes. Unfortunately, it didn't remove the fragments of lead in her shoulder; only sealed her wound shut. Alex then withdrew a shot of Med-X and injected it into her shoulder; numbing the pain for an hour or two. She would need to see a doctor about that eventually. Now because Alex was a complete fool, the girl didn't rest a minute and picked up her abandoned assault rifle to enter the fray once more. It was simple adrenaline that kept the young woman moving, fending off the wolves of fatigue.

Alex sprung up and fired a round of bullets at the last two of the mildly pissed raiders. They had been retreating when she fired, expecting that the hit that had landed had put her down for good. Their heads popped like a balloon in a sickening but satisfying manner; spraying bone, blood and bile everywhere. Alex paused, waiting for any more raiders to come out of the woodwork. When silence greeted her like a lost friend and Alex let out a sigh of relief; leaning back against the stone crevice. Her damp forehead felt good pressed against the cool stone face. Her left shoulder tingled slightly; the sensation of ants crawling beneath her skin was too real to ignore. She would need to find a doctor or medic in this "Rivet City" Lucas Simms had mentioned before she left.

If she could survive that long.

Which was highly unlikely.

* * *

Almost fifteen hours later and nightfall came far too quickly for Alex; like someone had flicked the switch and turned off the sun. With dusk, everything had a murky green look to it, like the colour of rotten seaweed. The girl hadn't even noticed that sundown had been and gone and it wasn't until Alex's teeth had begun to chatter together did she realise the sudden drop in temperature. When she breathed out, a breath of crystallised vapour escaped her chapped lips and when she breathed in, a gasp of cold winter knifes speared her lungs. Her Pip-Boy, his screen had begun to ice over, registered the temperature as only four degrees, maybe even less.

On top of the rapidly dropping temperature, the wound in her left shoulder had stopped tingling, replaced with a dull thumping; almost like a second heart beat throbbing beneath her skin. Her injury in her arm had slowed her progress, leaving the girl feeling quite disorientated. A floodgate of Lactic acid had soaked every muscle and fibre of her muscular skeleton, slowing her down to a painful crawl.

It would be futile to continue onwards. She would just end up doing more harm than good and her wound needed rest. Alex looked around at the seemingly unremarkable and empty landscape. The Pip-Boy on her wrist indicated that they were not too far from a place called Wilhelm's Warf. He had suggested that they carry on and stopped there but Alex cringed at the very thought and settled for just camping out instead. As a spiteful jab in the eye, Her Pip-Boy had switched off his battery to charge and left his owner alone for the night.

Alex chose the covering of a hallowed out boulder, providing cover from any more raider assaults and sheltered her from the blistering wind; gusts cold enough to freeze the blood within her very veins. She squatted down in the dust once again and dropped her sack. Several minutes later, Alex had withdrawn a moth-eaten sleeping bag and another shot of Med-X. She didn't dare start a fire, fearful that the smoke would attract unwanted attention. She quickly injected another shot into her left shoulder and leaned back against the freezing stone; the cold rock seeping through her jumpsuit onto her tense, trembling skin. Alex wolfed down a few slices of Brahmin meat (That had the consistency and flavour of old rubber) and downed a bottle of purified water. It didn't seem to satisfy her and Alex's stomach growled and groaned loudly, as if all the hiking had been entirely her fault.

No Vault. No house. Not even a bed. Just a dusty, hallowed out rock.

At that moment, she wanted to raise her head to the skies and howl like a dog. There was nothing to stop her from doing so.

But something killed the roar in her throat.

Desire.

Desire to fight. Desire to survive. Desire to live.

_I'll be damned if I'm to die out here._

Refusing to allow any more weakness, Alex curled up inside her makeshift cave alone and bit down on her lower lip. Only last night, she was wrapped up in several layers of blankets, snoozing away without a care in the world. Now she only shivered in the dark. Alex wondered briefly if her father was in the same predicament, holed up somewhere in the capital Wasteland half frozen. Did his thoughts linger on her as she did on him? Did he still care at all?

Outside the cave, a snort could be heard.

Of course the man still cared. He just had to. The ever present flicker of betrayal still burned away, desperate for answers. Was it even worth it to pursue him across the Wasteland? Alex let out a laughed at the expression his weathered face would wear when his wayward daughter appeared right in front of him. The girl closed her eyes and thought out everything she would say to him. Or rather yell. After all, he would probably expect nothing less from his problem child. A head rolled limply to the side and Alex dropped off to sleep; body still trembling from the cold.

Even in sleep, Alex felt nothing but extraordinary cold. It was so intense and short that she awoke to the sensation of something frightfully wet nosing against her cheek. Groggily, Alex tried to ignore it but the nosing persisted. She cracked her eyes open and came face to face with a black and white muzzle. Reacting accordingly, Alex flailed her limbs out wildly in a mockery of self defence and the muzzle retreated. Huddle inside the stone crevice with her sat a small, four legged creature; shivering away like there was no tomorrow. It took Alex a few moments to realise that the creature was a "dog." She had never seen one before as Vault 101 had never kept animals. They did have records of them though; from dogs to cats to monkeys to Zebras. Amata had always wanted a pet and for a good strong fifteen years of her life, the Overseer's daughter had kept a dog plushie; feeding him and talking to him like a complete lunatic. The knitter of the doll had been Grandma Taylor, a fantastic seamstress. Her teddies and toys always seemed to be alive.

Amata would probably kick herself now.

"Where did you come from hmm?" Her throat was like sandpaper and caused her words to be nothing more than a painful rasp. A slight twitch of his tail flickered in response, his head drooping slightly. Alex would have scowled if she had the energy to do so.

"You abandoned too huh?" The dog whined in response, lifting his head somewhat to reveal a case of Heterochromia. One startling blue eye and one topaz coloured orb stared right back at her, oddly understanding and comforting.

"You need someone nice to look after you." The husky dog whined again, his tail flickering in a half hearted wag. Alex shifted against the cold rock again.

"I can't look after you. I can barely look after myself," Alex stated. The canine woofed; a pathetic whine of a bark. The brunette released a groan and scratched her messy haired head. She needed rest for the next day's journeying and didn't have time to waste trying to shoo him off.

And besides, he was kind of cute.

"Alright alright, you can stay for tonight," Alex said, relenting as she opened her sleeping bag for the dog to clamber in. The canine did all but fly into the blanket, burrowing up against an unfortunate and quite frozen Alex. She zipped the sleeping bag up again as the dog shuffled up to rest his head against his head against her torso. She wrinkled her nose as a revolting smell penetrated her nostrils; the scent similar to rotten eggs and old socks.

"You smell Dog," Alex said sharply, her eyes like lasers in the dark. The dog shuffled within the sack, his tail thumping away in an almost guilty manner. Despite his thick fur, he was almost as cold as she. Alex moved a hand under the sleeping bag and petted his head gently and he licked her denim jumpsuit in response before he settled down to sleep. Her head rolled onto her shoulder and Alex found herself staring at the night sky through the gap in the rock. It was indeed a breath-taking sight; through the clouds Alex could see a river of liquid navy flowing to every corner of the sky. Bright gems shimmered and glimmered away happily without a care in the world. Alex could have envied them. They had it good.

A starry sky had been a privilege that Alex had gone without for many years and she never thought anything of it. She did not often have the time to care. The Maintenance department had been harsh, unforgiving at times and more often than not, Alex threw her equivalents of temper tantrums. That usually included a few choice words, a demerit and sucker punch into the nearest mouth. Usually Christine Mack, sometimes Lewis if she was feeling adventurous. Never did she have to worry about the consequences. Everyone just brushed it off as Alex just being Alex again.

But not the head honcho. Her poor father was in the Overseer's office more than Overseer himself, explaining his daughters behaviour on her behalf. She opened her mouth to giggle but no sound came out, too exhausted to even laugh. Warm seeped in from the combined body heat of the young woman and her dog, leaving her feeling pleasantly warm. Alex blamed the sudden warmth as eyelids drooped gently, sealing over sea green hues.

* * *

Once again, Alex awoke to the snuggling of a whiskered muzzle. The brunette stirred in her miniature cavern and the great weight upon her chest shifted; stealing her heat as it left. Whatever it was, the hot water bottle wriggled out of the sleeping bag and she heard paws scrabble off rock. Alex opened her eyes and yawned in a very unladylike manner. Daylight had finally returned, banishing her brother and his ice minions back for another night. She stretched her arms up and shoulders rolled; muscles beneath her skin extending like branches. The throbbing in her shoulder had disappeared, replaced with a shy tingling instead. The Stimpak and Med-X seemed to have done the trick. Alex struggled up and looked around the hallowed out rock for her furry visitor. The fluffy creature was nowhere to be found and a pang of sadness twanged in Alex's chest. Releasing a disgruntled sigh, Alex packed up her belongs and fished around in her sack for breakfast. A moment later, she withdrew another bundle of Brahmin jerky; still frightfully unappealing even to her groaning stomach.

The scuttling of padded paws against rock announced the return of her furry companion. Alex turned to scold him but the dog dropped a drool covered box into her lap then sat back, apparently pleased with his find.

"Good boy," Alex praised and stuffed the meat back into her pack in favour of the Fancy Lad Snack Cakes. It was easy to squash Alex's bad mood with food. Anyone could do it. Even a dog. The pair ate their fill; Alex tossing a cake to the dog every now and then before she packed up for the next leg of the journey. As Alex heaved her bag onto her shoulder and crawled out of the hollowed out rock, the canine behind her whined.

Alex turned to face him. "Don't give me that look. You know I can't keep you. You'd die before we get to the Studios," Alex reasoned. The animal wagged his tail and pawed the ground, as if telling her what he did with his life was his decision and nothing she said –or rather yelled would make any difference. Alex snorted and pulled out her sunglasses, signalling for the creature to follow.

"Alright you can come. If you get in the way, I'll shoot you myself," Alex threatened half-heartedly. The dog barked in response and bounded out of the cavern to trot next to her. Alex ignored him playfully woofing to activate her Pip-Boy and pop a Buffout stim. Her device stirred, his inner mechanics whirling to life. He let out a synthesised yawn and activated the combat Hub on Alex's green eyed vision.

"Mornin' lassie. Did yeh sleep well with the flea bitten mutt that be following you?" Alex remembered the blistering cold and shuddered as she jumped –more like stumbled over more and more wreckage, a sure sign she was reaching the capital. Dogmeat bounded over and up like it was nothing, perching upon steady rocks to wait for his new Master. With four legs rather than only two, he was swift and useful for scouting the area ahead. Every now and then, he would return with perhaps a clip of ammo or a packet of Mentats wedged between his drooling jaws.

Alex soon reached a small building that they assumed as Wilhelm's Wharf. After a quick word with the owner of the shack, Alex traded over some of the junk she had found in exchange for a smattering of Caps and a bundle of Mirelurk meat- a sort of grey meat smelt nearly as bad as it looked. The older woman pointed Alex in the right direction of the Farragut Metro Station via the bridge. Alex trembled in her relief, glad that she would not have to cross the river. Before she left, old lady Sparkle had warned her of Talon Company mercenaries roaming around. Alex noted down their signature description of navy blue armour and Talon logo before continuing on her way.

The lone wanderer headed Southeast towards the city, noting that the amount of debris littering landscape increased tenfold. Simple boulders had metamorphosised into large piles of stone concrete and sharp thorns of stone and metal spiked up from the earth like plant stems. Her Pip-Boy attempted several times to dispel the eerie silence that seemed to smother them both and each time he was unsuccessful, eventually slinking back into a uncomfortable silence. She tapped into the radio and found only chicken feed on one station and propaganda on the other. Even the bounding Dogmeat stuck to her heels like wonderglue, barley venturing out more than a few feet in front of his Master. They found the bridge quickly and started to cross when Dogmeat, who had been silent, suddenly started barking loudly; shattering the still silence like glass.

Alex turned to him questionably, still plodding forward

"What's your problem dog?" The said animal barked in response and darted forward, latching his jaws onto her shoulder bag. Blinking in confusion, Alex pushed him off before he could puncture any of her bottle water. The brunette looked out onto the bridge and narrowed her jade hues; noticing something that she had missed before. Dotted all over the bridge were small, rounded yellow mines. Frowing, the girl unsung her assault rifle and aimed for the closest mine.

"Back boy," Alex commanded and the dog retreated back several steps. A single shot 556mm bounced out of her rifle and collided with the mine. They exploded like hot potatoes; one setting off a chain reaction that caused another to detonate and so on until the ground shook below them and the girl wondered briefly if the bridge would collapse beneath them. The tremor of an aftermath rippled beneath her feet like an ocean wave and Alex toppled over in an ungraceful manner.

The girl sorted herself out and continued across the bridge until she crossed over to the seemingly empty side of the bridge. The moment she stepped off the bridge, a chill scarpered down her back. It was that same familiar feeling one gets when they know someone awaits them in the dark or when several thousand sets of eyes stare at you all at once. It was neither pleasant nor a welcome sensation.

Just as the young woman turned, Alex was suddenly hit in the face by a moist gunk. It slid down her cheek in a painfully slow manner, descending down and soaking the collar of her jumpsuit. Several seconds later, Alex let out a squeak as the mixture of acid and fluid soaked through her jumpsuit; burning the flesh beneath it. She swore loudly and turned and saw quite possibly the hideous creature imaginable. It was pink and misshapen and breathed out pure acerbic. Even from her position several feet away, Alex could smell the mixture of rotten flesh and blood escape its drawn back lips. The beast dragged its body towards her, using its six legs to gain momentum while it flung more crap at her- which she managed to dodge in time. It appeared to be humanoid of a sort but had three snake-like tongues coiling from its mouth and a row of razor sharp fangs lined the jaw; perfect for rendering flesh from bone.

Alex jumped back. "What the hell is that?" A green spark flashed from the corner of her eye as the Pip-Boy scanned the creature.

"A Centaur lass. Target the head now." Alex dodged another horrible missile from another Centaur flanking her left side.

"The head, are you sure now?"

"Dinnae doubt me now lassie!"

Like a furry bullet, Dogmeat galloped forward and joined the fray; sinking his jaws into whatever he could. The creature flailed out, trying to detach the dog from its body. Alex stole the opening and raised her assault rifle. Bullets rocketed out of the barrel, colliding with the skull of the creature. Four shots missed but five made direct contact. She fed a fresh clip into the rifle and took aim again.

"Whit the hell do yeh think yeh doing? Uise V.A.T.S! I'll see if I cannae increase your hit chance." In her foolishness, Alex had forgotten about the Targeting System. The sensation of ice and mercury flooding into the base of her skull returned and green stole Alex's vision once again. Time crawled to a stop and Alex squeezed the trigger of her gun. A fresh round of bullets pounded against the creature, narrowly missing Dogmeat. Blood splattered on the ground, painting the gravel beneath them a dark blood red. The creature let out a strangled gurgle before toppling to the ground. Alex had little time to marvel her victory as the brunette rounded onto the next Centaur, Dogmeat on her tail. The next one was much closer and Alex closed the gap will Dogmeat ran on ahead distracting the creature. The brunette unloaded a full clip of ammo into the pink mass and at her closed distance, it was lethal. A spray of blood erupted from the puncture wounds in its skin and the creature suddenly slumped to the ground.

Alex panted heavily, pulse roaring loudly in her ear as she waited for perhaps another assault. Thankfully, it didn't come and Alex sunk to the ground. She took several deep, calming breaths while she waited for the deafening, pounding blood in her head to ease. Dogmeat whined, licking his inured paw while Alex fished around her pockets for two Stimpaks.

"Come here Dog, this will make you feel better," The brunette assured, injecting the chemical into his furry skin. She tossed the needle away then patched herself up as best as she could. The chemicals within the needle worked wonders, patching up the skin when the Centaur's poison had soaked through her jumpsuit. Examining the wound, Alex concluded that the acid that the creatures fired reacted only to flesh; living tissue and cells. Once again, the brunette saddled up and continued on her way.

Not before injecting herself with another shot of Med-X.

* * *

The Farragut metro station was indeed a dreary place. Most of the station had caved in, sealing of tunnels and creating furious dead ends. Rubble covered almost every inch of the place and when she breathed him, the girl felt the slight sting of radiation. Alex was just glad to get out of fire for five minutes. A group of raiders had jumped the pair not too far away from the Stations entrance. Thankfully they had come out alive and with some supplies. Alex's assault rifle, which had been jamming due to overuse, had been repaired with some salvaged components and she found several clips of ammo and including what appeared to be an inhaler filled with some kind of faded blue gas. Alex pocketed it before continuing on her way.

The lone wanderer and Dogmeat headed into the tunnels, following the compass on her combat Hub. Creeping down into the tunnels, they encountered several Mole Rats. They were fairly easy to dispatch but tended to eat up ammo. A short trek later and they found a few painted on signs that pointed towards The GNR studios. From there on, they continued up towards the generator room and climbed up the various staircases until they stopped for a break. Her Pip-Boy was going completely crazy on her wrist, gathering data and taking readings while they trekked through tunnels.

_At least someone is having a good time _Alex thought bitterly as they entered an old office. Her annoyance was short lived when she found that the place was still stocked, literally untouched by time. She loaded up again, dumped some of her junk and ate some more supplies before continuing onwards to Friendship town. The trip through the last leg of the tunnels was fruitless and Alex found herself almost wishing for a fire fight.

It wasn't until Dogmeat started to growl as she rounded a corner did the young woman realise that she was indeed not alone in the tunnels. A sudden red target marker blinked onto her Hub, larger than any of the other ones. Alex and Dogmeat crept forward and crouched down behind shattered piles of concrete, peeking out ever so slightly. Standing in the mouth of the tunnel stood a monstrous sight indeed. The creature stood at least seven or eight feet tall with thick, waxy greenish skin. If he had not been such a terrifying sight, Alex would have marvelled at the brightness of his skin; the one speck of colour she had seen since departing the Vault. In the giant's hand clutched a long piece of wood with various lengths of razor sharp spines. Alex shuddered, only imagining the damage he could cause. Besides the girl, Dogmeat growled a little too loudly for his own good and the massive creature turned and spotted her. His mouth twisted into what could have been a grin before charging the crouching female. Alex withdrew her rifle and slid a clip home as the moving tank ran towards her. Four rounds of 556mm ammo slowed the beast's assault and his bio-readings flashed critically. Dogmeat threw himself into the fight again, snapping and snarling at the offending monster while his owner reloaded. The creature swung at the girl but instead of jumping backwards to avoid the hit, Alex did that last thing that creature expected and simply ducked; closing the distance between them. In an adrenaline high rush, Alex took aim and fired directly at the throat of the monster. The bullets tore open his throat with a roar; exiting out the base of his neck and separating his spinal column from his brain. The creature died instantly, and almost toppled on the Vault Dweller had she not jumped backward in time. Alex waited for him to get up.

But he didn't.

Her Pip-Boy flashed as he scanned the creature into his memory banks.

"Well done lass, yeh did it withoot my help," he congratulated. Alex frowned down at the beast.

"Yeah, but I almost lost my head in the process." The girl swiped her sweaty brow and nudged the beast with a booted toe, as if daring him to get up. When the creature did not stir, Alex knew she had won this small victory and savoured the moment. Her dog barked happily and with another injection of Med-X, the young woman continued on her way.

They headed straight up and along the broken escalator, their pace quick and brisk. Both Alex and Dogmeat had had enough to treacherous tunnels. Shadows had stolen every corner of the station and cobwebs climbed to incredible heights up and down the wall. The whole place left the young woman feeling uneasy and she would be glad to reach the surface. Several minutes later and Alex finally caught sight of a shimmer of light and felt relief swell in her chest. She was beginning to think she would never escape the caverns of the Metro Station.

She pushed the gnarled gates open and the sunlight seemed to have been waiting to ambush her. Two sharp fingers jabbed Alex in the eye as she stepped out into the light, Dogmeat cautiously following her. She checked her Pip-Boy for their location. North Chevy Chase. Perfect. Not too far away from GNR studios. Alex looked around at the seemingly unremarkable ruins and expected to find maybe only a few raiders, another Centaur at the most.

Alex couldn't have been any more wrong even if she tried.

What came running towards the brunette wielding a sledge hammer was the last creature Alex had expected. Her legs moved before her mind had registered what had happened but she was no quick enough. A "Super Mutant" as her Pip-Boy called them cuffed her arm as jumped with enough force to knock down a Vault Door. A sickening smack coupled with a cry of pain could be heard throughout the Capital and Alex skidded to the ground in a crumpled. The girl spat out a mouhtful of bile and glared up through messy brown locks to find the creature on the assault once again. He was ignoring the yapping dog that snarled and snapped at his heel to slaughter to young woman in front of him. Alex had very little time to react. She ignored the pain in her right arm, most likely just a sprain as the Med-X had fortified her bones, and readied her assault rifle. Two clips of 556mm ammo did nothing to halt the beast and the giant raised the sledge hammer to bring down on her fragile skull and Alex instinctively clenched her eyes shut, awaiting the impact.

But the pain never came. Instead, the offending creature let out a cry of pain as at least forty rounds of 5mm bullets burrowed into its left flank. Alex looked up, hardly able to believe her good luck as four soldiers encased in pure steel appeared at her side in a defensive manner. The mutant seemed to know who they were for it backed off slightly, shrunken eyes darting between them. A grinding of metal started up again and bullets hammered into thick skin mercilessly. The creature let out a scream and fell to the ground like a puppet without strings. One of the soldiers turned to Alex, pulling off a battered helmet. The brunette found herself staring at the pissed face of a surprisingly young blonde woman. She was a pretty woman with fine facial features and dark blue eyes that flashed dangerously. Something about this woman made Alex feel somewhat defensive. Dogmeat let out a small growl at her side.

"What the hell are you doing out here civilian? Don't you know the Super Mutants are rife in this sector?" Alex quirked an eyebrow as she flexed her aching right arm, thoroughly unimpressed.

"Sightseeing," she sneered, being deliberately difficult. The blonde woman sighed and rolled her eyes at her teammates.

"I'll ask you again, what are you doing out here?"

"I don't remember putting on one of your..." Alex eyed the power armour they wore "uniforms," she finished shortly. The solider shrugged her shoulders.

"We just saved your ass and this is how you repay us? Fine then. Be difficult. But don't come crying to us when a Super Mutant tries to gnaw your arm off," the woman snapped. Alex scowled as she ejected a Stimpak into her arm.

"I'll keep that in mind," Alex all but snarled back.

"Still, you must have some combat skills to have made it this far."

"Probably more than you." The blonde woman's eyebrow hitched up her forehead.

"Watch it kid. You have any idea who you are talking to?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

"We are the Lyons Pride, no other squad in The Brotherhood of Steel is better If I do say no myself."

"So what are you doing out here?" The blonde woman shot Alex a curious look.

"Haven't you heard? We are going to back up our brothers at the GNR studios." Alex jumped on the opportunity.

"GNR? Really?"

"What? Thinking of riding with us now?"

"Only to GNR studios."

"Alright then, we could use another hand. You injured?" Alex rolled her shoulders in response, her right arm fully operational again.

"No, I'm good."

"Saddle up soldier."

It did not take long for Alex to regret her decision to help "The Brotherhood of Steel". The Vault Dweller and Dogmeat barely managed to barely make it through the Early Dawn Elementry, even with the support of Sarah Lyons and her soldiers. Alex felt as if she had been fighting a never ending battle and wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep for several days. No, maybe even several months. Every bone ached, every muscle was pulled and she felt as if she had lost every ounce of blood within her body. Med-X and Buffout did not help, leaving her with a horrifying craving for more and she was out of Stimpaks. If it had not been for her Pip-Boy fighting as hard she was, neither would have made it. However, with the combined effort of the weathered Steel soldiers and nothing short of a miracle, Alex managed to clean out the entrance of the GNR studios.

Then it came...The mother of all Mutants. Alex looked on as the enormous creature approached them, swinging what appeared to be a fire hydrant with the strength of at least one hundred Super Mutants. It was a monster of epic proportion, over twenty feet tall and limbs that probably weighed more than Alex and the rest of the squad combined. Thick muscles strained against waxy pale olive skin, flexing and stretching as he swung his crude hammer; smashing it against the Power Armour of The Brotherhood of Steel. A shield made of car hoods adorned his left hand what Alex was horrified to find that the fleshy colour oblong spheres hanging around his waist were trophy human heads. The mere sight of the monster rooted the girl to the stop but he seemed to ignore her for more juicer targets. The Assault rifle in her hands was completely empty, not even enough gunpowder to light a spark. Even Dogmeat could not face the monster and the furry animal retreated behind piles of sandbags. Alex could hardly blame him and for a moment, she wanted to hide too.

"Get to cover!" ordered Sarah Lyons. Alex was eager to respond when she suddenly caught sight of what appeared to be a Fatman Launcher. Green eyes flashed and a flicker of a plan sparked within her deranged brain. There was no time for debate or questions as the plan grew and grew. It was crazy and probably wouldn't work.

But it was the best shot they had.

"Scanning...Target the center o' the beasties forehead. Tis the weak point." Her Pip-Boy ordered

Alex bounded towards the launcher and somehow managed to heave it upon her shoulder. It felt as if it weighed well over a ton and almost split her skeleton in two just holding it. She steadied the gun and charged the battery, a low warning screech belting out. Sarah Lyons yelled at whatever soldiers were still alive to get out of the way before the Vault Dweller released the mini nuke. The beast turned, just short of mashing the squad leader with his hydrant of death to see Alex powering up the launcher. His lips bared into a snarl and he charged forward.

"Come on. Come on. Come on," Alex begged as the Behemoth started to lumber towards her, thick arms swinging dangerously. The ground beneath them trembled and vibrated as the enraged creature stomped forward. Perhaps it seemed to sensed death was near, and was making some kind of suicide run. If It got in too close, Alex could not risk firing the weapon and killing herself in the process. The light on the front of the Fatman suddenly pinged a bright green and the young woman flicked into V.A.T.S in the nick of time.

Her Pip-Boy lined her up and Alex fired without hesitation. The bomb didn't fly far and dropped like a rock but was deadly enough to blast the Behemoth into several thousand pieces at such a close distance. Alex felt the aftershock of the blast hit her along with radiation and endless globules of Mutant gore, drenching her entire frame. When the thick smoke cleared, only the charred corpse of the monster remained. The young woman toppled backwards, dropping the launcher as a pained laugh escaped her throat. Alex really had no idea why she was laughing. Maybe it was relief? Or perhaps joy? Alex did not particularly care at that moment. She kept laughing even when the soldiers closed in around her and the last thing she remembered before she slipped out of consciousness was the sensation of someone picking her body up. After hours of fighting and travelling, not having to carry her body was complete bliss.

* * *

When she woke up, the first thing Alex realised was that she was missing her shoes. And socks. In fact, she was missing her Jumpsuit altogether. Her brain commanded her limbs to move but they refused and Alex had no choice but to obey. Jade hues slowly returned to the world and Alex awoke to find herself in a studio of a sort. Or rather, sleeping in the studio. Around the room, radio equipment was mounted up in every corner and the room seemed to be alive with a sort of buzzing. Alex relaxed back into the bed, marvelling in the softness and warmth after spending a night curled up in a cave. Upon the side of the bed, she felt something shift slightly.

"Dog?"

Thump, thump, thump went the tail against the bed.

"Ah, you're awake. Good," came an enchanting and calming voice. Alex managed to rouse her body enough to sit up and her head spun. A man sat at a desk near the bed, watching her intently through his glasses. He was adorned in a heavy duster coat, white shirt and weathered denim jeans with a bandana secured around his head. Alex assumed that the man was Three Dog.

"Whoa, what the hell happened?" Alex questioned, a hand gripping her forehead only to feel a large lump upon her head. Three Dog raised a gloved palm and stood up from the desk with two tumblers and a bottle of Whiskey. He poured one out and offered it to her.

"Here kid, this will help." Too tired to refuse, Alex accepted the glass and downed it all at once. The taste left a bitter sensation in her stomach but took the pain away from her throbbing muscles and aching joints.

"I'll say it again, what on earth happened?" The man chuckled and took a sip of his own.

"You don't remember kid? You made taking down a Super Mutant Behemoth look like an art form." Alex winced in remembrance.

"Oh yeah, now I remember get sorely whopped by that thing."

"You took it down with a single nuke. Quite an accomplishment for a Vault Dweller." A look of disbelief splattered the young woman's face.

"How did you know?-"

"Met your dad already. Real stand up guy. You look just like him." Alex would have jumped from the bed if she had the energy to do so.

"My dad? Is he here? I can I talk to him?" Three Dog held his hands up in a motion of peace.

"Calm down kid. Get some sleep and we will talk later." Alex grumbled and surprising didn't disobey him. She flopped down onto the bed against without protest.

When you lived with nothing between you and the weather, you were indeed a savage, so it took savagery to stay alive. But a roof! And Walls! You could breathe again. Sleep without terror. Alex forced as smile as Dogmeat burrowed up against her, sticking his wet nose under the covers.

Some things never changed.

* * *

James quickly determined that Wasteland Scotch used to taste a lot better. He preferred his scotch slightly warm and spicy, not stale and diluted. Even the Vault-Tec standard scotch was better though it left an aftertaste similar to that of a fish, no matter how many times they changed the recipe. It never quite tasted the same. Still, what right did he have to complain as he lifted the tumbler to his lips and downed the last gulp of watery Scotch. At least it filled the gap. After almost twenty years, The Muddy Rudder of Rivet City had sadly never changed; same rusted bulkheads secured together with weathered bolts, same damp and rank aroma lingering in the air and the persistent gurgling from the bowels of the beast still bugged the hell out of the weathered old scientist. He leaned over on the counter, arms crossed as he pondered what on earth he was actually doing.

The Brilliant Doctor Madison Li had responded just as he had expected to; claiming he was indeed completely mad and flat out refused to help him. James hardly blamed her though. There just wasn't enough evidence to support his theory- heck; even he still had problems believing his own claims. But James knew what he had to do. It was his duty. His duty to Catherine, and to the Wasteland. He would never allow her dream to die; even if he had to wait for another nineteen years.

But yet...

James found himself thinking about a certain individual. This specific person plagued his thoughts and gave him the drive to move forward again and again. It was the thought of his green eyed, wayward little girl that kept him moving through uncertainty. If he could somehow change the world, give humanity a chance to start over then perhaps Alex would be given the life she deserved. James wondered briefly if she were mad at him for leaving. He chuckled at the very thought, berating himself further.

Of course she would be. Knowing Alex, she would have thrown the mother of all temper tantrums and all hell would have broken loose inside the Vault. James could practically see her reaction now; pretty face screwed up in furry, teeth bared into a spiteful snarl, dark locks in disarray and jades eyes flashing dangerously.

A sigh escaped the man's chest and he signalled for Belle Bonny once more. An old lady appeared in front of him from the back store. Belle had once been beautiful with flashing dark brown eyes and flowing strawberry blonde hair. Now, once flowing locks were dull and cut back into a more manageable style and secured back with a bandana. Thin lines marked every path the woman had taken in her lifetime, leaving eternal furrows embedded in her skin. Although time had worn away her looks, it had not worn away her sharp tongue or striking dark eyes.

"You're enjoying that more than usual James," Belle remarked, eying up his empty glass. The said scientist waved his hand dismissively in a manner similar to his daughter.

"More Scotch Belle. And not that cheap, watery stuff," James replied, dropping a handful of Caps onto the counter. Belle gathered up the Caps stuffed them into her back pocket then pulled out another bottle from under the counter. A vintage bottle.

"If you were any other person, I would have thrown you out for that," the older woman stated, a tiny smile pulling at her chapped lips. James returned the gesture with a weak one of his own; as watery and thin as the Scotch he consumed. Belle returned to her duties and James was left alone with his jumbled thoughts for company.

The steel door to the Muddy Ruddy suddenly heaved open with a groan. James Halsey would have jumped if the alcohol in his systems hadn't dulled his senses. He heard footsteps behind him approach the other side of the bar.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" James quirked his head slightly, somewhat intrigued by Belle's icy tone. It had certainly been a while since he had heard Belle speak to someone like that. She sounded wary, almost guarded and was quite unlike the fiery old woman.

"Why so defensive Miss Bonny? I only wanted to talk," was the reply of a liquid smooth voice.

"I know you; always having ulterior motives well I'll be having none of that in my bar."

"Calm yourself woman. I only wish to post a letter." Belle released a sign and James heard the groan of the counter as she leaned on it.

"Is that all?"

"Of course. You always assume the worst of me"

"Alright, hand it over. Where is it going to?" A curved sneer could be heard upon the man's next words.

"Megaton."

"Okay then, forty Caps." A scrapping of Caps being exchanged could be heard. James released a sigh and returned back to his drink, knowing that he would probably pay dearly the next morning in form of a headache.

But James decided he did not care in the slightest. He looked down into his drink and for a moment, he was sure he saw the reflection of his daughter staring right back at him; grinning away like a deranged fool

Some things never changed.

* * *

**And that's a wrap people. It's 1am in Scotland and I'm beat. I hope this chapter is okay and yes, I had to skip a lot of generic travelling to get in finished within 9000 words. So if I missed anything out, I'm sorry. I had to start** **a new game to get the directions and stuff.....Too tired to bitch....And yeah, I referred to all super mutants "He" because calling them "It" all the time caused all sort of Grammactical errors D:**

**Scottish Dictionary:  
Cannae: Can Not  
Dinnae: Do Not  
Withoot: Without  
Uise: Use  
Yeh: You  
Lass(ie): Young girl**


	4. Chapter Four: Hand Of God

**A/N: Alright guys, here we have it! Chapter Four of the Wayward Soldier! I had promised and promised myself to get it up before Christmas as a present for you. It would have been up earlier but I reworked ALL THE dialogue between Burke and Alex so many times it just wasn't funny! *Flails* So not a word about it okay? I understand that it was a hack job but how do you give a character who no one knows anything about a background? I'm not completely happy with this chapter but I just had to get something up for you all. And I had major writers block so please forgive the crappiness of this chapter. The next one will focus on Vault 112, Braun and Alex's new found bigot attitude towards machines and technology. Please note that I will not be updating until after my Birthday (New Years day XD) That's all from me for the night. Happy Holidays guys! **

**As always, thanks to all those who read and an even bigger thanks to the following: MysticGohan88, Netbreaker0, Ambassadorofpeace (Sorry man, no Talon mercs today. Still trying to find an opening for them) dumbrat, VaultDwelers, Pixiebutt, Magchange89 and Weretiger Marduk **

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"****Seeing you in my tears  
In my own reflection  
I hear you in the wind that passes through me  
Feel you in my hunger  
You're haunting my ambition  
Beautifully destructive attraction."  
-Yoko Kanno, Velveteen**

**Chapter Four:** Hand Of God

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning before Alex awoke again. It took a lot of courage on the girls part to shift the heavy blanket that smothered her senseless; the allure of warmth was all too appealing. Never the less, Alex peeled back her cover and swung her legs to the side of the bed. Her bones creaked a little and her feet still ached from the walking but other than that, Alex was thankful she was alive. She looked around for Three Dog but the man was gone from the desk, replaced with her repaired jumpsuit folded up neatly on the desk. She struggled into her boiler suit, leaving it unzipped and pulled her boots back onto her feet.

"Dog?" Alex called, picking up her abandoned bag from the foot of the bed. The scrabbling of paws against stone could be heard and the young woman turned to find Dogmeat sitting faithfully by her side. The husky placed his head on her lap, whining pathetically. As if answering the dog, Alex's stomach grumbled loudly. The said girl winced and opened the drawstrings of her bag to fish out breakfast, painfully aware of her body's need to nourishment. She withdrew some of the bluish, gray Mirelurk meat she had bought from Old Lady Sparkle. Even to her groaning stomach, it still looked frightfully unappealing. When she unwrapped it, it slithered and slumped in it's own juice as if it were still alive. Deciding that she would rather have her Dog chance it first, Alex offered a slice of gray meat to her furry companion. He sniffed it once, whiskers tickling her hand before giving Alex a deep look of what she guessed was disgust.

"Don't give me that look, it's all we've got," Alex remarked grimly before she bravely nibbled on the side of a leap of Lurk flesh. The moment the sensation of salty garbage touched her tongue, Alex flung the chunk of gray meat into a corner. It hit the wall with a loud squelch.

"Absolutely not, I'd rather starve," Alex fumed to no one is particular. Her stomach clenched in protest. She fished around her bag and, right at the very bottom, were the Vault-Tec issue ration cubes. She had completely forgotten she had them. The girl unwrapped one and popped one between her jaws. No matter how many times they changed the formula, ration cubes always tasted like old, lime flavoured socks. They refuelled the girl with the proteins and minerals needed for the day but did nothing for her ravenous appetite. Alex suppressed her hunger in favouring to swing her shoulder bag onto her back, mounting on her empty assault rifle onto her free shoulder.

She hurried into the next room to find the said man sitting at his recording station, playing an extremely large vinyl disc mounted upon a sort of Megaphone jerry-rigged to modern equipment. Around Alex, various recording and transmission equipment littered every surface area and a gentle humming, like that of a bee, resounded throughout the entire room. When Alex approached, it was as if the man had eyes on the back of his head for he suddenly spun around to face her.

"Morning Alex, sleep well?" the brunette eyed the man warily.

"Who are you and how the heck do you know who I am?" Alex all but demanded. Three Dogs chuckled and turned around to fix a switch on the large console behind him, looping a recording onto the radio station.

"I know what you're thinking. The look on your face says it all. You're wondering who on earth I am and why you should care, well prepare to be enlightened. I am Three Dog, jockey of discs and telling of truths. And you are Alexandra Halsey. I also know your dad, met him already. Heard about you two leaving the Vault," Three Dog remarked, lacing his fingers together and resting them upon his lap. Although his tone was soft and reasonable, his stare was unmistakable. The man was basically telling - or rather yelling – at Alex not to be a smartass. The Vault Dweller's lips curled into a snarl as she rose to the challenge, opting to be difficult once again. After all, Alex had a reputation to consider.

"You going to tell me where he is has gone or what?" Alex snapped. Three Dog brushed her tone off like it were lint on his jacket.

"You want to know where you Dad has gone? His location is known to yours truly. I only have one request. You must contribute to the Good Fight," Three Dog reasoned.

"You're going to have a 'Good Fight' on your hands in a moment if you don't tell me where my dad is!" Alex barked, conveniently forgetting that her assault rifle was bone dry.

"Whoa now kid, there's no need to get like that. I'm here to help." The brunette snorted, jade eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Alright, I'll bite. What do I have to do?" Alex demanded, not bothering to hide her animosity. Three Dog let out a small laugh, hardly able to believe how quickly Alex could get rallied up over virtually nothing. What a temper.

"What a sharp little one you are." Teeth clenched in response and Alex spun up for a royal bitch out.

"I'm not 'little'!" her obvious stature contradicted her statement "So you can wipe that stupid look off your face and answer my questions!" Alex proclaimed fiercely, jade hues flashing in a sickening mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. Three Dog held his hands up as a gesture of peace, trying to sooth the young woman's bubbling temper. James had mentioned that his daughter had an anger issue – though issue was putting it lightly – and it had gotten Alex into endless amounts of trouble. More specifically, she got James into endless amount of trouble.

"Okay okay, I take it back, just settle down. Smoke a peace pipe, count to ten or take deep breaths. Whatever it is you need to calm down," the man reasoned.

"Calm?! Calm?! How can I possibly be calm?! I've been to hell and back, fought with Satan's devil spawn to get here and you tell me to calm down?!" Alex fumed, releasing all her pent up rage in one terrifying swoop. To his credit, Three Dog simply listened and allowed to the girl to continue to rant incoherently for a few more minutes. Alex's anger was like a virus; it penetrated her deeply and injected a red hot rage directing into her veins. When that happened, it was advised to just let the brunette finish her rants and not interrupt her. Or face the possibly of a black eye.

And Three Dog was in no mood to fight with an irritable, wannabe hardass girl.

"Are you done?" A furious glare was shot Three Dog's way.

"That's a stupid question."

"It's a rhetorical one. You're not supposed to answer."

"Wasteland English at its best."

"Listen Alex, you want to know where your father is right? Then pipe down and listen to what I have to say"

"Alright alright, what do you need?"

"I need you to replace the Galaxy News Radio broadcasting dish." Alex raised a sceptical brow.

"That all?"

"You haven't heard the rest of it. The only place that you could possibly find another one is in the Museum of Techlonogy."

"Let me guess, Mutant birthday party or something?"

"Sharp kid, you're James's daughter alright. Replace it and dad's location is yours." The Vault Dweller released a sigh and scratched her fluffy, brown haired head.

"Three Dog, maybe if you could tell me where my father has gone, me and him could come back and help." Blatant lie on Alex's part but who was counting?

"I don't know kid, would he really help us?"

"Let's put it this way, me and him would have a better chance together than just me on my own," Alex reasoned. Three Dog surveyed Alex and something about her youthful and arrogant stare suddenly made the man feel like an overwhelming coward. Sending Alex in alone would likely spell her death. She was young and still had her entire life ahead of her. It would not be fair to ask such a colossal task of Vault Dweller and give only a fraction of information back. Three Dog shook his head, as if hoping to shake his doubts right out of his head and onto the floor. If he were to take advantage of Alex's unwavering loyalty towards her father, the disc jockey would be no better than a raider or slaver.

"Alright Alex, he has gone to Rivet City. Something about needing to speak to a Doctor Li about some mumbo jumbo regarding some sort of project. Project Purity he called it." The brunette quirked her head to the side.

"Where is Rivet city?" Three Dog almost spluttered with shock. Everybody had heard of Rivet City at someone point in their life. But then again, Alex wasn't "everybody"

And that, the disc jockey thankful for.

"You've never heard of Rivet City? Wow, just wow."

"Don't rub it in."

"Head straight out of here and head Southeast. You can't miss it. Really." Alex gave him a weak smile, suddenly feeling like a complete bitch for being so short tempered with him.

"Thanks Three Dog. I'll be back to help you soon."

"Don't mention it kid. Find your dad. Oh, and by the way, the Brotherhood Of Steel guys down there have some equipment for you from us. Consider it a gift for taking down that testosterone happy Super Mutant."

"All in a day's work but thanks." Three Dog threw her a minute smile.

"I should be thanking you. I'd be a toothpick to a Mutant right about now if you hadn't shown up and pulled that crazy plan out of your ass." Alex smirked, ego fully inflated.

"I have my father's brains after all."

"Certainly not your father's temper though."

"Everyone has a skill. Later Three Dog."

"Good luck Alex. Say hi to your dad for me."

* * *

True to their word, the Brotherhood soldiers provided Alex with some more ammo and medicals supplies before the young woman headed off towards Rivet City; following the river Southeast. She barely noticed where she was walking, her mind swimming with questions. Alex just wanted to find her father and go home – but the word home spilt into several different pieces. She could not fathom what home really meant anymore. Vault 101? Megaton? That cave in the Wasteland? Alex was not sure and it infuriated her. The girl was a young woman who prided herself on being independent and sharp. In the Vault, she had possessed one of the sharpest minds and an even sharper tongue. In the Wasteland, she felt out of place and wrong and her actions had become an outward reflection of the torment that nibbled away at her day by day. Alex snorted at the thought. She was a mechanic, accustomed to fixing various equipment not diving head first into Mutant infested holes. The husky dog walked by her side, clearly on edge like his master. Their trip to Rivet City was fairly uneventful besides from the odd raider encounter. The young woman and her furry companion stumbled across a small raider encampment, and after exchanging fire for several minutes, Alex walked out with their loot and minor wounds that could be cured with a Stimpak or two. As she left the encampment, Alex raised a gloved thumb and wiped away a trickle of blood extending from her mouth to the bottom of her jaw.

About an hour into her journey, Alex came across a scavenger out with his Brahmin. She traded off some of the junk she found at the Raiders encampment in exchange for a handful of Caps. It was not much, enough to buy dinner but better than nothing. The man waved her off and Alex continued her hike to Rivet City. Around the young woman, the ruins got worse and worse; great spires of shattered rock and cement stretched towards the sky like a kind of twisted, metal forest. Alex had never seen such a wonderful but horrific sight; a beautiful but violent testament to the horrors of war and nuclear weaponry. Alex was not the creative nor the sentimental type but even she could appreciate the beauty of the Wasteland.

Alex had been so caught up in her mental ravine she had not noticed the Centaur creeping up on her until Dogmeat suddenly revved up like a motor engine, growling and barking for all he was worth. The brunette sidestepped just in time to miss a bullet of Centaur goo, pivoting on her heel into a defensive position. Alex swung the rifle from her shoulder and unloaded a good few rounds into the face of the Centaur. The creature was downed but not out. Somehow, he managed to heave his shuddering pink form high enough from the ground and spit out pure acid at a very surprised Alex. The Sludge impacted her gut and the young woman let out a yelp as the scolding hot liquid penetrated through her jumpsuit; gnawing eagerly at hidden flesh. Whist Alex was distracted; Dogmeat launched himself at the creature and sunk his teeth into the thick neck of the creature. Powerful jaws, strong enough to crush steel, ruptured Centaur's throat open; freeing the creature from the tyranny of the living world. Alex grumbled inherently and patted her dog's head, ignoring the dull burning on her stomach. She would need treatment once she reached Rivet City.

The pair continued to travel Southeast, up a few several sets of staircases and past three large tree husks. The atmosphere around them had become deadly quiet, even free from Eyebots spreading their propaganda. So thick and tense was the atmosphere that when Dogmeat cuffed a stone, Alex let out a scream.

"Calm doown Lass, you be giving me the jeepers," the Pip-Boy huffed from his place on her wrist before returning to his disk defragmentation. Alex stopped to lace up her boots for the fifteenth time, becoming more and more irritable and uncomfortable with each passing moment. She wanted to cry out in frustration and just get to Rivet City and give her father a good verbal lashing.

Followed closely by a hug.

Silence tore Alex's throat and she continued following the compass marker on her Combat Hub due Southeast, following the murky brown river to the ends of the earth. Around twelve in the afternoon, and when Alex and Dogmeat had determined it was safe, they sat down for lunch after missing breakfast. Still unable to swallow her pride to eat the Mirelurk meat, Alex settled for halving a slice of Brahmin with her furry companion. She fished around in her pack again, only to find she was out of water. Alex cringed at her stupidity. She had no nearly bought enough water when in Megaton. And Alas, Wadsworth had collected up several bottles worth for the trip. They had been right there, sitting on the counter while she laced up her shoes.

Swallowing in her dry throat, Alex had no choice but to do without even with the effects of dehydration looming closer in her shadow. The air was sizzling and thick when she breathed in and Alex almost feared that she would breathe in enough hot air to fly away. The temperature was continuing to claim at a rate of knots. The Pip-Boy estimated that the temperature would be roughly 35 degrees Celsius by one o'clock. How strange was the Wasteland weather; stifling hot one moment then blistering cold the next.

A glowed hand raised to wipe away sticky sweat from a pale brow and Alex looked to the sun in loathing, patches of white speckling her vision. She wondered briefly if it ever rained in the Wasteland. Heavy and fractious clouds hung over the city from dawn to dusk but Alex had yet to see those clouds break open like eggs.

Alex saddled up once again, checked the ammo in her rifle before setting off, Dogmeat in her wake. After years of very little physical exercise, Alex found the thirty mile hike a day to be exhausting and wondered briefly if her father felt the same way. But no, Alex's father never got tired the way she did. It was nothing for him to work twelve hours at the clinic and come home to make dinner before harassing Alex into doing homework then finishing up the evening with paperwork. James Halsey could accomplish anything.

Alex looked onto the horizon and if on cue, the faint outline of a breached aircraft carrier blinked into view; hazy in the factious Wasteland air. Alex trembled in her relief, glad to almost be at her destination. Her head had begun to reel from lack of food and water and even the murky brown river was starting to look awfully appealing to the travelling teenager. The closer Alex and Dogmeat got to the city, the louder her stomach complained and whined. She had not had a decent meal since leaving the fault and that part of her life was as distant as the horizon in morning fog.

It wasn't long before Alex reached what her Pip-Boy registered as The Anacostia Crossing, not too far away from the Super Mutant encampment the pair had raided. In the idiocy of the Super Mutant, they had stupidly pile cars with live nuclear engines in one pile. Right smack dab in the middle of the base. Stupid mutants. Alex's favourite kind. The punishment for their foolishness? A Frag Grenade thrown straight into the heart of the nuclear blockage. The cars had responded as expected of them and exploded on impact, setting off several nuclear reactions that burnt and sundered the encampment. And the mutants who lived there. After the smoke and radiation had cleared, Alex cleaned up; shooting the weak survivors in the head then proceeding to raid whatever was left in the base. She had found several Stimpaks, another inhaler of strange blue gas and a device that looked like a sort of wrist watch. Alex fondled the device; a childlike curiosity with a mechanics thirst for technology gleaming in her jade eyes. Alex pocketed the piece of technology before continuing on her way.

Rivet City was beast as opposed to the bucket of Megaton and Alex could not help but be quite flabbergasted, her jaw practically touching the ground. The beached air craft carrier spanned at least eight hundred feet from bow to stern and appeared to be an Essex Class; a top notch carrier class used in the Second World War. They were practically indestructible and, since they used slightly older technology, they were highly reliable. Not many of the stunning Essex models ended up at the bottom of Japanese waters. Jade eyes trailed across the beached craft, noting the supreme crack straight down the middle; separating the two halves. She was a beautiful carrier but ravished by decades of ignorance and the radioactive elements. Although raped by time, for Alex, it was love at first sight. Such manpower it would have taken to construct such a craft; such dedication and willpower from those who built her. She was a testament to the once proud and mighty American race that proved that, in a fight, size did matter. As the gate bridge extended in front of her, Alex wondered briefly if the rudders were still intact or perhaps engineering was still useable. She made a mental note to visit the engineering section as she crossed over the swaying bridge to reach the other side.

A Rivet City Security guard stopped Alex in her tracks with the threatening wave of his Chinese Assault Rifle; a model vastly superior to the Vault Dwellers own regular assault rifle. Alex scowled in his general direction while she fingered her broken weapon fondly. If things turned nasty, at the very least Alex could hit him with the butt of her rifle and run for it.

"Chief Harkness of Rivet City, sonny. State your business here." His tone was curt and to the point with an edge as sharp as steel. It was as if Chief Harkness had taken a stick and prodded the Vault Dweller in the eye. The aforementioned girl jumped on the word "sonny" as fiercely as a Deathcaw would a Wastelander._ And here I thought Burke was just being a Jerk _Alex thought, her hackles raised.

"I'm a girl you jackass" Alex snarled, completely flabbergasted at the number of stupid questions asked of her that day. Chief Harkness looked at her properly and cleared his throat, embarrassment splattered on his cheeks.

"Oh, sorry about that."

"Forget it, I'm looking for my father. I heard he passed through here," Alex replied icily.

"Your father? Who is his? If he was here, I would know." The brunette fought the urge to grind her teeth together. What was it with the people of the Wasteland feeling it completely necessary to question her motives?

"He's not from Rivet City. He came here to see Doctor Li," Alex answered, her polite tone straining. The security guard shot the young woman a sideways glance before he eventually waved her through.

"Doctor Li huh? Well you'd best go see her. She's in the science lab. No funny business now," the man warned. Alex snorted and strutted back him, Dogmeat trotting along next to her with a smug sense of superiority similar to his owner. The husky dog turned around and the Chief of Security swore that the dog glared at him through mismatched coloured eyes. The door to the stairwell slammed shut and Chief Harkness shoved the thought away to the back of his mind and took up patrol once again.

* * *

Alex decided that she liked Rivet City much than Megaton. The whole ship seemed to breathe and groan with life around the Vault Dweller and after hours hiking through silence, it was indeed a welcome change. Alex stood in the Marketplace where various vendors and stalls set their wares from eight in the morning until eight at night. Brahmin meat sizzled and spat upon a grill, filling the air with wonderful sounds and smells. Besides the girl, Dogmeat sniffed the air and wagged his tail eagerly. Alex's stomach growled in agreement. The girl checked her pockets; more than enough for dinner._ I'll get some food then I will go and see this Doctor Li person _Alex thought, attracted to the prospect of food. Hunger had taken over the young woman's brain and she thought very little of anyone or anything else when that happened.

She approached "Gary's Galley" with a rumbling stomach that did not go unnoticed by the proprietor of the diner. When Alex slid down onto one of the empty chairs, her dog resting his muzzle on her lap expectedly, the owner practically jumped on the poor girl. A middle aged man with rich golden blonde hair slicked back in a style similar to Butch's stared down at the tiny girl with a weathered note pad in his hands.

"Welcome to Gary's Galley stranger, finest cuisine this side of the city. My specialty is Mirelurk Cakes," He stated cheerfully, flashing the girl a dazzling smile. A sour one was returned his way as Alex winced in remembrance.

"Mirelurk leaves a bad taste in my mouth. What else have you got?" The man handed the girl a menu in response. Alex skimmed down the page with let out a disgruntled sound of disgust.

"Have you got anything here that isn't made from Mirelurk?" Alex asked irritably.

"The squirrel is very good – "

"Absolutely not. Real food please."

"You're the regular little madam fusspot aren't you?"

"I'm not little! I am compact!"

"Okay okay. Calm down." Alex pulled in her horns and turned back to the menu.

"I don't want squirrel or Mirelurk."

"Well, we do have some boxed stuff-"

"I'll take it. Oh, and get me some Brahmin steak as well."

"Hang on a sec."

Ten minutes later, Gary placed a bowl of steaming macaroni and cheese in front of the Vault Dweller. Alex, who was so hungry she was about to gnaw off her own leg, practically pounced upon the bowl and devoured it so quickly that she hardly felt the radiation drop like a lead rock within her belly. She ate until her stomach ached then dropped the bowl down for her furry companion to lick while she leaned back and savoured the peaceful moment. For the first time in days, Alex felt truly safe. The sounds and chattering of the bustling of Rivet City was like music to the young woman's ears and she closed her eyes, breathing in the hustle of Rivet City.

She was home at last.

Alex's faithful dog kept watch on his owner; large, bat-like ears perked up in constant surveillance. When someone approached so slightly and swiftly that Alex did not hear them, Dogmeat raised his head and sniffed the air, detecting the presence of another who did not belong. The dog growled at the figure but did nothing to stop him from approaching his owner. The figures intents were neither hostile nor ill and Dogmeat was satisfied with own judgement, opting to simply survey the man.

"My, my, my. You get around don't you my love?" A voice, ridiculously smooth, remarked. Jades hues snapped awake and Alex came face to face with the last person that the brunette had expected to see. Mister Burke was sitting in the chair opposite, one arm propped lazily upon the table and looking like a million dollars. Alex's breath hitched in her throat at the mere sight of him before all hell broke loose.

"Geez Burke, don't sneak up on me like that!" Alex squealed, almost failing off her chair; cheeks a bright red. Such was the curse of pale skin. The said gentleman shot her his infamously alluring grin before letting out a chuckle.

"I am pleased to see you remember me." Alex rolled her eyes and frowned. It was impossible to forget the man and he damn well knew it.

"Are you stalking me or something?"

"Naturally."

"Pervert."

"Hardly."

"I don't blame you though. I am gorgeous"

"Is that a hot air balloon I hear? Or is it just your ego?"

"Charming."

"Only for you."

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" Alex demanded, hostility and outrage bubbling away in her simmering pot but in no danger of overflowing. The man studied her for a moment; Brunette locks were ruffled and her eyes held a type of renewed, weathered confidence. Even though she was in dire need of a good soak in a bath, Alex had never before looked so attractive to him. Especially when she was angry. There was something terribly endearing about the cranberry red splatter that painted her cheeks when she was mad or trying to be a hardass and failing.

"My dear, I am here to congratulate you," Burke remarked softly, a hand free hand petting Dogmeat – who had decided he quite liked Burke after all. Alex's toyed with a fork for a moment; not entirely sure where to put herself. Burke took in a breath, taking in her oddly appealing scent of scrubbed leather and machine oil coupled with a distinct feminine odour that just seemed to smell so damn good.

_No, do not allow yourself to indulge in her. There will be plenty of time for that later_

"What for?" Alex asked, her knees trembling beneath the table.

_Why I am letting him get to me like this? _

"I must admit I am impressed. That stunt you pulled at Megaton was particularly skilful. I did not see through it. And disarming the bomb after I left? Magnificent." Alex felt as if someone had dropped several tonnes of lead into her belly.

"Word travels quickly around here," Alex snorted, trying to mask her apprehension with sarcasm.

She was just not quick enough. Burke sensed her fear like a shark senses blood in an ocean. And it pleased him greatly to know that Alex had learnt to be wary of him.

"Indeed it does. Though I do distinctly remember telling you to stay in Megaton."

"Since when I have I ever listened to anything you've said?" Alex shot back with a snort. Burke quirked an eyebrow, lips twisting into an all too familiar smile to the young woman.

"You would do well to remember who exactly you are speaking to" His tone sent Alex's spine into a frenzy; chills and shudders running rampant up and down her back, goosebumps rising up upon her skin.

"How could I possibly forget? I have to say; I was expecting you to be mad at me. Really."

"You played a good hand. I am man enough to admit that." Alex felt really quite ruffled at Burke's comment.

"You're a bit backwards you know? I mean, I disarmed the bomb you wanted to explode and you don't seem the slightest bit bothered."

"I am not entirely sure how to take that." The Vault Dweller let out a snort, eying the mysterious man with an inquisitive stare

"What will you do now? Won't your employer be kinda mad?"

"No, I'll think of something"

"Ah," was all Alex could manage, fresh out of clever comments to throw at the man. His facial expression had changed, frighteningly sincere. It was not a look that Alex was accustomed to seeing Burke wear and was certainly one that made her trembling in apprehension.

"I intend to keep my promise to you. When my business is concluded, I shall send for you." A question that had been gnawing at the cage of Alex's mind broke loose at last.

"Why do you care so much for me when you barely know me?" The businessman opened his mouth to say something more but the words died before they reached his tongue. Alex leaned forward a bit more, close enough to breathe in his spicy, warm scent. They were not touching. They were yearning to touch, they were leaning forward, but they were holding back. Alex took a deep breath and licked her bottom lip, trying to regain some control of the situation. Shaded blue eyes flickered down, taking her gaze whole and rendering the young woman quite speechless. Burke possessed the uncanny ability to silence the girl, and the more Alex tried to resist his magnetic pull, the easier it became for him.

"We have a connection my love. I know you felt it as well," the man breathed. Alex froze for a second time, her head rocking at the statement. Burke stared at her, half hoping she would say something and the other half wishing for her to cut him down and end his silly infatuation. But alas, she said nothing and let the opportunity sail by.

Before Alex's jade gaze could register what happened, she was suddenly met his pinstriped back. Without a second word, the mysterious man left; leaving Alex feeling quite unnerved but pleasantly warm. Her mind reeled and spun like a dangling yoyo, replaying their brief encounter over and over again.

_That damn man thinks he's so smart and mysterious. I should have kicked him under the table_, Alex thought, frowning at the retreating man. As she watched him go, the more Alex thought about what he said and the more it made sense. It terrified her to a point where she wished had never met him but intrigued her natural curiosity. Alex was never good at dealing with her feelings. Well, _those_ kind at least. Humour? That the mechanic could do. Clever and witty retorts? Those she was more than happy to provide. Colossal temper tantrums? Her speciality. But never had Alex been forced into a situation where she would have to deal with a man like Burke.

_Scoundrel. He just won't take a hint will he?_

_...I guess not_

Her Pip-Boy whirled in a manner that only be described as disgust.

_Yeh don't actually like that swine do you? _

The mechanic looked down, at a loss for words.

_I don't like him per say...I just find it comforting to know that someone cares for me out here that's all._

The device on her wrist let out what Alex assumed was a snort.

_Aye right, he be just looking for an easy leg. And you're about as easy as they come._

This time, it was Alex's turn to snort.

_You're not jealous are you? _The entire screen of the Pip-Boy flashed a bright red.

'_Course not. There be nothing that I should be jealous about._

Alex shook her head and picked up her sack, leaving a handful of caps on the table for the bill; Dogmeat on her tail. She left the Marketplace in favour of heading towards the Science Lab and despite the fact that young woman had no sense of direction, she did not get lost once. Unlike Vault 101, Rivet City was dark, noisy and smelly and litter commandeered every inch of the floor. Wires hung down from the ceiling like jungle vines and copper pipes lined the wall and, surprisingly enough, in good condition. Floor lights were dotted down every pathway and flat panel monitors were placed in strategic positions at the end of corridor; displaying temperatures, new bulletins and a map of the city every four minutes. The place was very crowded and Alex did not go down one corridor alone. Such an inconvenience would have bothered some but not the mechanic from Vault 101. The more people chattered around her, the more comfortable the girl became. She stopped for a second to glance at the map, indicating the next left turn would take her to the lab of Doctor Li.

Sure enough, when Alex pushed a large compression door open, she walked straight into what she assumed was Doctor Li's lab. Various machines and equipment had been hastily packed in, jutting for position in the crowded room. Alex leaned down the railing and saw several tables of brimming with notes and chemistry equipment, bubbling away happily. Alex scanned the room for Doctor Li and stopped a small woman having a furious debate with an older man sporting a walking cane and a smaller man looking rather uncomfortable. All three of them wore labcoats.

They continued to argue even when Alex approached them almost gingerly.

"But I'm busy!"

"Doctor Anchorage, you're busy doing nothing that's what."

"Yeah, which is doing something. Why can't you do it?"

"Because I do not nearly have enough time. And I do the weekend shift anyway"

"What's wrong with the way we have always been doing things?"

"Because Doctor Preston does not get nearly enough sleep. He's working near enough twenty hours a day."

"Oh boohoo. My work is important, I don't have time to be wiping runny noses."

"Doctor, your 'project' is literally never going to get off the ground." The Doctor Anchorage was downed but certainly not out. He turned to leave but not without threatening the older woman soundly.

"Mark my words Li, someday men will fly again. I'll make sure of it," the man promised before signalling to what Alex assumed what his assistant. The woman known as Doctor Li tapped one foot irritably. She was a short woman, only maybe an inch taller than Alex. She had thick black hair that was fixed into a tight, no-nonsense bun and appeared to be in her late forties.

"Men will fly alright. Just like rocks."

"Just like your ass."

"Just do the damn nightshift already!" Alex watched Doctor Li grow more and more irritated with the hobbling Doctor Anchorage. The brunette would have felt sorry for him had his wicked tone and cutting words had not warded off her sympathy.

"Alright alright. You owe me big though. Snoops! Let's go," Doctor Anchorage eventually relented and summoned for his assistant. The older man stalked past Alex as best as he could, hobbling away with his walking stick and helper in tow. Alex pulled at face at him when as he left and approached the still steaming Doctor Li. The older woman rounded onto Alex with an almost murderous intent gleaming in her eyes. The brunette wondered briefly how long she and Doctor Anchorage had been arguing for before her features eventually fixed themselves into a frown.

"Look, I'm tired of telling you people, this is a restricted -" Doctor Li cut herself off to study Alex's outraged face. Li must have found what she was looking for because she suddenly let out a gasp. Alex jumped back and looked behind her for an indication of a threat.

"My heavens, it's you. You look so much like him...You're James's daughter aren't you? What on earth are you doing here?" A paintball of shock hit Alex directly in the face and the confused girl conveniently forgot the concept of manners.

"Where is my father? Tell me now!" Alex almost burst with questions and would have kept jabbering if Doctor Li had not suddenly gripped her tiny shoulders in an attempt to silence the bombardment of enquires for a moment or two.

"Alex! Calm down! Calm down! What are you doing here? James said he left you in the Vault? This is all terribly irrational."

"You know my dad?" A cloud of anger descended upon the older woman and Alex was not entirely sure it was directed at her alone.

"James came back here as if nothing had changed. Your father walked out on us. Project Purity was our life and he abandoned us." The steel loyalty Alex felt for James Halsey hardened at the words of Doctor Li and jade eyes almost grew black.

"Hey, from what I understand of it, he just wanted to keep me safe," Alex snarled. In response, the lips of Madison Li grew very tight indeed and she studied Alex for a moment. It was a miracle the girl had made it to Megaton, yet alone Rivet City without someone trying to shoot her in the head. Not many people appreciated that kind of attitude. Doctor Li had been a citizen of the city for many years, even before James's ragtag of a daughter had been born. She had seen countless young, rebellious kids walk into the City liked they owned the place; tossing their bad attitudes left, right and center. More often than not, those kids would leave in bodybags or just disappear altogether.

"I know he did. But Project purity was bigger than all of us."

"Forget it. Where is my dad? Have you seen him?" Doctor Li shot Alex a sceptical look, one brow arched.

"James? I had assumed he had sent you. Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be in a Vault. James said he left you there." Phantom wounds flared up within the brunette and she was not sure how to answer.

"I was kicked out," Alex replied distastefully, hoping that Li would drop the subject. However, like a dog with a bone, Doctor Li refused to the subject go.

"Are you sure? From what your father tells me, you've caused a good few stirs in your time," Li remarked. If Alex had hackles, they would have certainly been raised.

"Look, this isn't about me. Just tell me, where has my father gone?"

"The old lab."

"Where is that?"

"The old Jefferson Memorial. It's dangerous so please, don't go. It was foolish enough for your father to go alone."

"If my father is there, I have to."

"You're a irrational kid. You're defiantly James's daughter." A tiny smile pulled at Alex's lips.

"Thanks. Anything else you can tell me about Project Purity?" Doctor Li raised a finger and pointed to a console furthest away from them.

"If you have a Pip-Boy, just connect it straight up to the mainframe. You can download everything from there. I'll give you my access code to everything related to Project Purity, probably even your mother's journals. No one has touched them in years."

Alex felt her heart skip – no jump several beats. Her mother journals!

"Got anything else for me?" The older woman released a sigh and removed a stray lock of greying black hair from her eyes.

"I don't want to sound rude but I don't have the time to support your father's foolish endeavours. Or you going after him."

"Come on, you don't want me to die out there do you?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Alex released a sigh and felt her back pockets. Alex's pockets felt rather empty indeed. And there was so much to buy; more assault rifle ammo, Stimpaks and food were just one of the many items Alex would need before she set out into the unknown once again.

"Doctor? Can I ask you something?"

"Yes but please be brief"

Alex swallowed the lump in her throat and stormed on ahead.

"I never knew my mother. What was she like?" Doctor Li suddenly dropped her eyes to the floor beneath them, lips pursed together. Almost twenty years had passed and Li could barely managed to summon up the courage to think about Catherine Halsey, much less talk about her.

"Your mother...Well, she was a good woman. A very dedicated scientist. Your father loved her very much," Li explained, still unable to meet the green eyed vision of Alex. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to be done." Alex quirked an eyebrow but relented the floor to the older woman.

"Well thanks, I'll plug this in then I'd be off."

"Good luck Alex."

"Thanks," the girl said before turning away and approaching the console to plug in her Pip-Boy. When Alex pulled out the connection cord, her device stirred at last from his synthesised sulk and opened the private channel with her again.

_What have you got me for me lass? _Alex grunted and slotted him into the computer in response. The device let out an electronic squeal of delight as he skimmed through countless terabytes of data, all waiting to be absorbed and sorted. _You be wanting this all copied aye?_

_Can you manage that?_

_It will be a tight squeeze lassie, but I'll manage._

_Put your backhacker up._

_Done already. Do yeh not trust them or something? _Alex looked over at Doctor Li with narrowed jade eyes.

_I don't know. She just seems kind of...off with me. _His screen flared up a bright emerald green and data flowed freely into his hard drive. His obnoxious "Please wait" blinked onto the monitor as her device calculated and compressed files while he copied and stored new data. Alex's Pip-Boy was better at multitasking than she was. Several silent minutes later and the device suddenly pinged in completion. Alex disconnected her Pip-Boy and fed the cables back into the appliance. He whirled in response and brought up several documents for the young woman to read over. With a satisfied smile, Alex left the lab to suit up for the next part of her journey.

* * *

Project Purity wasn't too far away from Rivet City, so much that Alex was surprised she had even missed it to begin with. It was a large dome structure, damaged but still standing even after two hundred years of nuclear warfare with various sets of pipelines running straight into the irradiated river. Scaffoldings and various other bridges spanned around the entire dome like a protective shell. Beneath Alex's booted feet; the grass and ground was scorched with black marks, crunching loudly under her boots. Alex stopped and glanced around cautiously. It was quiet, too quiet for the mechanics liking. Dogmeat had been left back in the lab of Doctor Li, Alex fearful that he would be killed by whatever had occupied the memorial after the departure of her father and later Li.

A roar behind Alex and the flashing of red on her Hub signalled that she was not alone. She spun on her back heel and jumped backwards a few feet; unhooking her assault rifle from her shoulder. A super mutant charged her, wielding a sledge hammer of a sort that probably weighed twice what Alex did. For once, the girl did not feel frightened and had no qualms shooting the offending beast directly in the face. Two out of her four shots missed while the two made directed contact. Rivets of blood exploded out of the creatures head and he stumbled but could not be counted out of the fight. His steps quickly covered the distance between them and Alex stepped back to avoid the swing of the steel mallet. Such was the overpowered Super Mutant that when he swung his sledge hammer, he left himself open for attack. Alex flicked into V.A.T.S and time ceased to exist. She clenched her rifle between sweaty hands and before she could reason with herself or before the beast could react, Alex brought the butt of her rifle down onto the thick skull of the creature. If the mutant had screamed, Alex did not hear it. The only sound that the mechanic heard was of bone splitting beneath her weapon before the creature dropped to the ground. Alex spun around and surveyed the rest of the area. Right on cue, three blimps of red winked onto her compass; all moving around but thankfully, not towards her. They must not have heard the gunshots. She mounted her assault rifle back onto her shoulder before continuing onwards.

Half an hour later and Alex was glad that she did not have Dogmeat following her for she would have not been able to sneak past two out of the three Super Mutants that patrolled the perimeter of the memorial. The final Mutant wielded nothing but a stick of wood with some spiked shards of metal embedded onto the sides. Instead of firing at the mutant, Alex used the worst possible tactic and had stepped forward into the path of the mutant. Her assault rifle acted as a crude sword to block the blow and Alex had less than a second before the Mutant quickly overpowered her. The brunette had reckoned at her sudden spurt of recklessness had stumped the Mutant for a moment. Then V.A.T.S came in to play then out came the Scoped Magnum. The few but powerful quickly ended the spree of the creature and put him to rest.

Alex stood outside the door to the gift shop, her compass flashing straight ahead. She checked over her equipment one last time before jumping head first into another mutant hole.

Inside the Memorial building, Alex fought and struggled and sustained many wounds to battle her way into towards the Rotunda. Blood flowed freely down her forehead, more splattered across her jumpsuit and Alex was sure that a rib or two had broken. It was hard to forget the thud against her chest or the snapping of bones when a Super Mutant grabbed her from behind and kicked her into the stone wall. Not even Med-X had helped cushion the blow. Alex peeked out from her hiding place in the gift shop, a stolen hunting rifle in her bloodied hands. Her trusty assault rifle had since long been depleted of ammo and was strapped to the back of the Vault Dweller. Alex winced in pain and gripped the rifle tight, trying to feed another shell into the gun with trembling fingers. The compass was displaying at least two more mutants in the immediate area, not counting the mutants within the Rotunda. Her Pip-Boy was frantically trying to offer advice and point out weaknesses as well as keeping an eye on the girl's health.

_Alex! The Stealth Boy! _

The said girl ducked down to miss a hailstorm of .32 bullets.

_What about it?_

_Damn it lass, use it to sneak up and around those beasties_. The Stealth Boy! Alex released a sore groan and immediately regretted it. How could she have forgotten? The girl swivelled back on her booted heels and rummaged in her pockets for the small, wrist watch type device. Alex pulled it out and withdrew the connection cable curiously, in a manner that made it appear that she had forgotten all about the Super Mutants firing at her from outside the shop.

_What I do now?_

_Just plug it in meh lass and I'll do the rest. _Alex followed the order of her Pip-Boy and slotted the small, cylinder like connection cable into her Pip-Boy. It was like she experienced the sensation of V.A.T.S several times over. Instead of the impression of ice simply drilling into the base of her skull, the feeling increased tenfold and covered her entire body with what felt like a cool, damp blanket. It even provided some relief for the broken ribs and all the bruises she had sustained. Alex blinked once, looked down at her body and let out a gasp. Her entire body was gone, replaced with a silvery double; a ghost even. She glanced at her hands, only to find them a simmering transplant colour. The mechanic managed to stand up and using the support of the wall, Alex somehow managed to sneak out of the gift shop. The Super Mutants that had pinned her down looked as dazed and confused as Alex felt. The young woman crept calmly around them, keeping her strained breathing as quiet as she knew how.

_You've got one hour until this wear off lass. Be swift. _Her Pip-Boy was nothing but an echoed in her ear and Alex guessed that the integration of the Stealth Boy was suppressing their communications.

Unbelievably and miraculously, Alex somehow managed to sneak right past the furious mutants to escape into right into the Rotunda. The heart of Project Purity was a slight disappointment. The room gurgled and whined and had a very damp, chloride kind of smell to it. The whole scene put Alex in mind of a kitchen sink and she would have laughed at her own comparison had two Super Mutants not been patrolling the area. Attempting to keep her steps light but agile, Alex approached what she figured was the control room. On top of a panel lay four holotapes, labelled with her father's messy handwriting. They swiftly found their way into Alex's bag. The said girl glanced over her shoulder from her crouched position. Good, the Super Mutants were still none the wiser of her presence. She headed straight down the stairs, teeth nipping her bottom lip to prevent herself from groaning in pain. The burning ache in her ribs was worsening with each passing minute and no amount of Stimpaks would help. Not that she had any left.

She crept down the stairs, through the Rotunda door and negotiated past Super Mutants; clearly pissed that their fast food had managed to slip out from under their shrunken noses. When she fumbled with the door, Alex was sure that one of the creatures had heard her. The situation was like something out of a nightmare. She stilled, barely breathing as the creature stomped up towards her. He stopped and seemingly sniffed the air around the girl. Alex froze and for a few seconds, she stopped breathing altogether. Time ground to a complete halt around the girl; almost like she was in V.A.T.S mode but without the rush and taste of adrenaline pulsing through her veins. After what felt like years to the young woman, the olive giant turned away from her; grumbling incoherently to himself. Alex released the breath of oxygen she had not realised she had been holding until the Mutant had safely rounded another corner and disappeared out of her sight.

She grasped the door handle and forced it open with as much strength as she possessed then when she was outside, she slammed it shut. The Mutants would not follow her now. They could not use the small, backdoor entrance. If they were to try and catch her, they would have to go around the long way and use the front gate entrance. Alex snorted and grasped her left flank. Somehow, she doubted that a "puny human girl" was worth so much extra effort. Jade hues glanced towards the beached craft and the girl winced before hobbling off in the general direction of the old aircraft carrier.

When Alex saw her father again, she made a mental note to give him a good, swift kick for all the inconvenience he had put her through.

* * *

**Who is this Doctor Anchorage? What is he up to? Why does Li not trust him? Will Alex ever get over her Napoleon Complex? And what the hell in Burke doing in Rivet City? All will be revealed soon!  
There we are people, another crappy edition to my story. Not my best I admit but still, I put lots of effort into this chapter (And was awake till like 1am on Xmas morning getting it finished) so leave me something nice.**

* * *


	5. Chapter Five: He that Believeth In Me

**Hello again friends! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and positive feedback! Sorry for the delay in this chapter. The Holiday season has been stealing all my time for the past week or so (Yay, birthday! Aren't I awesome? ;) I hope you all had a good one! **

**Nothing too much to say here, just thought I would spice up the storyline a bit by adding in another side-quest. **

**Damn, I hate this chapter! *Flips table* I hated writing this one actually. Everything about it felt so damn forced. Even to me. By the end of the chapter, it was like 1am once again and I felt like crying D: Still, had to put in something. Skipped a lot of generic travelling and stuff cos it bites to describe that all the time. Next chapter won't be out for quite some time since it's gonna be a long one with filled with Epic win, sorrow and plenty of Burke. Anyone else thrilled? *Tumbleweed moment* O__o Guess it's just me then.**

**Anyways, thanks to all who stopped by to read and an even bigger thanks to the following: MysticGohan88, Shinsou88 (Another fantastic Fallout fiction writer. Stop by his fic and give him some love too! He deserves it!) dumbrat, Netbreaker0, Fullcircle, Weretiger Marduk, Agent Hellgirl (She breathes some much needed love to Jericho) and finally InRodWeTrust (Zomg! Love for the Ghouls! I thought it was just me who found Charon oddly appealing) **

* * *

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"****I'm sinking slowly  
So hurry hold me  
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on  
Please can you tell me  
So I can finally see  
Where you go when you're gone****"  
-Michelle Branch, All You Wanted**

**Chapter Five: **He that Believeth In Me

* * *

"Alex! Hold still"

"Ouch! That hurts you know!"

"It would hurt less if you would just hold still."

"I thought you were a doctor?"

"Stop being so difficult!"

"Am not"

"Yes you are. You are definitely James's daughter. Stubborn as a mule." The said girl huffed and bit down on her tongue to silence a cutting remark while Doctor Madison Li cleaned several of her wounds. Three would leave scars but two would heal up completely with a bit of help. The older woman removed the plastic lid off a Stimpak then injected it directly into the worst of the ruined flesh. The Stimpak worked like a charm; threads of epidermal tissue knitting to form barriers over her gun wounds and minor cuts. Alex leaned back in the chair and sucked in a breath of stale oxygen into her shallow lungs. Doctor Li continued to potter about, checking over the last of her bruises and broken bones.

"You really are a fool. What were you thinking? Going in there alone," Doctor Li remarked, shaking her head. Alex put on her infamous scowl and zipped up her battered jumpsuit once again; trying to keep the armoured padding from failing off completely. The outfit had certainly seen better days. She would need some more armour before setting off towards Vault 112.

"I would have fared better if you had helped me in the first place." The older woman dumped a collection of used needles and blood soaked tissues into the nearby bin before rounding onto the insufferable teenager; hands placed on her hips.

"Even If I had, I doubt it would have done much good. Alex I warned you about that place. I said it was dangerous." Alex huffed and said no more and the conversation was dropped into a pool of uncomfortable silence. "There you are Alex, that should be you all fixed now." The brunette rolled up a sleeve, examining the thin scar of a once deep and seeping wound. Alex hopped off the table and rolled her shoulders; every pain and ache vanished like a shiver.

"You didn't have to treat me you know?" The thin lips of Doctor Li twitched and for a second, Alex thought she would smile.

"Well I couldn't let you die now could I?"

"Thanks anyway," Alex responded, shouldering her bag, trusted assault rifle and a stolen hunting while. While she admired the toughness and robust nature of the .32 loaded hunting rifle, the manual and slow reload speed put the young woman off. Still, at least she could sell it for Caps or spare parts. Doctor Li shuffled off and Alex glanced at her Pip-Boy; time reading at roughly three in the afternoon. She had stumbled into Doctor Li's lab almost two hours earlier, clutching the Chief of Security for support. Despite her aggressive and hostile behaviour she displayed when they first met, Harkness had been the one to take Alex down to Doctor Li's lab when she almost collapsed on the bridge from internal bleeding. When the Security guard left, there had been a bloody handprint stamped onto his armoured chest.

As Alex saddled up to leave, from the corner of her eye, she noticed an older man having a feverish argument with one of Doctor Li's assistants. The man must have given up for the woman quarrelling with him shot him victorious smirk before turning on her heeled feet and stalking off. The man suddenly turned and before Alex could try and escape, he and his companion had ambushed her. He was old, in his late sixties at least with sagging yellow skin that reminded the young woman of an old fruit. Thick framed glasses hid his eyes and he was adorned in a simple black suit and tie. He looked so completely out of place that Alex could not help stare at him for a second; that moment costing her greatly.

"You there! What are you? Some kind of lab assistant?" Alex opened her mouth to say something – preferably rude – but the man continued on before her word vomit reached her throat "No, you look more...weathered. Are you by any chance, for hire?"

Alex folded her scrawny arms across her chest, letting the previous comment slide.

"That really depends. What exactly are we talking about here?" The facial features of the man twitched onto what Alex guessed was a snide smile.

"To the point heh? I like that. Well, as it turns out, I've misplaced some very sensitive property."

"What kind of property?"

"Oh, how can I put this in a way that you will understand," the man remarked with a condescending edge lining his tone. Alex narrowed her eyes to a point where she could barely see and opened her mouth to allow the words to fall without a second thought and without looking back.

"Are you always this patronising to people you hire?" the brunette snarled, fists clenching under her folded arms. Not unlike Burke, the man did nothing but laugh cruelly at her.

"Well well, you've got a bit of a brain behind that pretty little face after all" Alex snorted and tossed her russet haired head; jade hues almost black and glaring hatefully at him. Alex hoped she looked somewhat dangerous rather than simply childish. It was a question that would remain unanswered for the gentleman swiftly moved on "Very well, I won't assume that of you again."

"You know what they say about assume: 'makes an ass of you and me'" the girl remarked with an arrogant grin. Much to Alex's unspoken surprise, the man chuckled again but this sound that escaped histhroat was not nearly as cruel as before. He almost sounded amused with her.

"Quite. Well, let me continue. All you know of Robots are those tin cans and Mister Handshakers. But Robots can be more than that. The commonwealth have developed synthetics with AIs not too different from your own Pip-Boy; adaptive, responsive and possessing the keen interest to better themselves. Androids have fake blood, skin and sweat. They can even be programmed to eat and digest food exactly just like a human" Alex quirked a cynical eyebrow but her curiosity was aroused. What else could a Robot be other than something like Andy or a Protectron? She could not imagine anything else. The concept of an AI similar to her Pip-Boy was not hard to grasp but a living, breathing robot? Nonsense. "Now sometimes, they get confused and wander off." Alex swallowed the barrier that had temporarily muted her voice.

"They wander off? What's that got to do with me?"

"You're going to find him for me. He's here, in the Wasteland. Find him and simply report his location to me. Don't upset him by talking to him. He may not even realise he is an android." Alex snorted and unfolded one of her arms to examine her broken nails in a painfully smug manner.

"Tell me Zimmer; is your wallet as big as your mouth?" The said Doctor frowned and waved a hand dismissively.

"How quaint. Of course you'll be rewarded. Commonwealth technology shall be your payment my dear girl. Just think, you'll be the envy of all your friends." The word "friends" pinged like an echo within the chamber of her heart but the girl managed to fight the memory back down. She was getting better at forgetting Vault 101. Alex shot the man a smirk from under a mane of chocolate locks.

"Sure. I'll find your robot for you. If you toss in two hundred extra caps on top of whatever tech you're willing to share," Alex proposed, her chipped canine resting on her bottom lip. Zimmer surveyed the complete Chancer of a girl and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. Sly girl; using his desire to find his missing bot to sponge whatever she could get out of him. So was it the Wasteland Way.

"Alright then girl, two hundred extra caps as well."

"Anything else that would my job easier?" The wrinkled hand flapped in the air once again.

"Forget all you know about Robots. Those are just children's toys. I suspect that our missing friend has had a facial reconstruction and memory wipe."

"Why would he need that?"

"Maybe he didn't exactly wander off. Maybe my android wanted to forget his previous life. I suspect that he is feeling guilty for something he may have done and wished to erase his memories." A russet haired head quirked to the side with pursed lips.

"Why would a machine feel guilt? Even if they are an android? Come on Zimmer, what are you not telling me?" Alex inquired, managing to paint a somewhat alluring smile of her face. Squinted eyes narrowed in response to her question, a sure sign that he was not pleased to have to share his sensitive information but the man relented.

"By god, you're as clever as you are annoying," the doctor remarked. The muscles in Alex's slender neck visibly twitched the girl let the comment slid, too weary from travelling to put up much of a fight.

"Everyone has a skill Doctor."

"Very well, I shall tell you what you want to know if it helps you locate my property. The duty of this particular Android was to catch other escaped androids." Alex rolled her tongue over her bottom lip thoughtfully; an act that might have driven some men mad but not Doctor Zimmer. He had much more refinement than that.

"There were others?"

"Yes, others escaped. It's the fatal flaw of such an advanced AI. They begin to think for themselves, develop morals and let their curiosity get the better of them. They even fool themselves into believing they have rights as well." The lips of Alex fixed themselves into a frown and she cleared her throat.

"Delusional machines. What will the universe think of next?" Alex remarked in a haughty tone though her facial expression said otherwise. The man eyed the girl and only then did he realise how tired and malnourished she looked. The jumpsuit she wore was very loose and coffee coloured locks of hair stuck up in odd directions. Hardly the appearance of a Street-wise, Wasteland survivor and certainly not one that could hunt down a rogue robot. However, she did have a sort of smug sense of self-superiority that clung to the girl like a pungent odour. Such was the gift that Doctor Zimmer had; he could always see the big picture in any situation. It was what had guided him into profitable situations and was the name reason that he was head of the Commonwealth AI Institute for the Development of Robotics.

"So you see my dear girl, our android may have believed that he has done something wrong. Immoral even. And wanted to forget. Happy now?" Chapped lips curled from a frown into a smile.

"_Ecstatic. _Well, I'll see what I can find out. It'll take a while but I'll get around to it," Alex remarked and with that, she turned on her heel and left the lab; leaving the scientist and his bodyguard feeling quite flabbergasted at the turn of events. Alex chuckled as she walked away; gloved hands stuffed in her pockets. If they thought she was going to drop everything to run off to find their radical robot, they had another thing coming. She would find him when she was damn well ready and not before then.

Alex quite enjoyed being a bitch sometimes. It had its own rewards and was often a good way to stab someone without drawing any blood.

But usually, they stabbed back.

With her furry companion in tow, Alex headed straight up and around through the various corridors and passageways; navigating and slinking past residents and security guards. Ten minutes or so later and Alex was standing the Rivet City Marketplace, blinking in the brilliant artificial light of the converted hanger bay. An armoury store known as "Potomic Attire" branched off to the side; several steps away from her current position. The owner was an arrogant, domineering pig but he sold some decent stuff that was within her price range. Ammo was provided to the residents and visitors alike by a gun store called "Flak and Shrapnels". Shrapnel, one of the owners, did not seem to like the brunette very much but Flak always gave her a good price for any equipment she was willingly to sell. The man had taken a shine to her the moment Alex had approached stall for the first time, battered and haggard but still as lively as ever. How and why would remain a complete mystery to Alex's curious soul for the remainder of time.

The said man was sitting on a stained white sofa, minding the store while Shrapnel was out getting some lunch. His head tipped upwards when Alex approached the countertop.

"Hello Alex. Need to do some more killing?" He remarked humorously, fingers picking at a stray white fibre on the couch. Alex grunted in response and rolled her shoulders in a very Wastelander kind of way. She reached onto her back and pulled the hunting rifle over her brown locked head and proceeded to drop it down on the table with a heavy thud.

"How much can I get for this?" The man slunk out of his chair and examined the weapon intently. Dark eyes flickered up and down the body of the rifle, looking for flaws or accounting for condition. Eventually, Flak looked up and caught the stare of Alex.

"Accounting for its decent condition, I can give you about a hundred caps for it."

"I practically had to wrestle that off a Mutant. Two hundred would be ideal."

"Two hundred huh? Can I come to your planet, sounds nice there."

"Shut up," Alex warned with very little enthusiasm in her voice. Flak's hand reached up and scratched the back of his head

"Sorry Alex, hitting hard times these days. Need to stock up for winter so we can't give out as much as we used to."

It took several more minutes of bickering and bargaining juggled between the pair before Alex eventually gave up and traded the Hunting Rifle for another regular Assault one and the man made up the difference in Caps. Flak was even nice enough to throw in a clip of 556mm ammo free of charge. Jade hues eyed up a Chinese assault rifle but the price tag attached to the weapon weaned the girl away. She traded off some random junk and even off-loaded a few packets of Rad-Away in trade of rifle ammo. Alex winced when she handed them over, knowing the decision to trade them would come back to bite her later. She bought three more rounded barrels of .44 for her scoped Magnum. She made an effort to look for information regarding the runaway robot but Flak pointed her in the direction of Seagrave Homes; a resident Tec-head that Alex could relate to. After a brief encounter with the friendly, fellow mechanic, Seagrave handed over a holotape that he had bought when news of the Androids escaped first penetrated the Wasteland. It wasn't much but it was a start. Alex thanked him before continuing with her shopping.

Across the makeshift hall, Alex visited the stuffy owner of Potomic attire to sell off her charm bracelet; the last tie she had to Vault 101 – To Amata anyway. Funny; how friendship and loyalty seemed to break as easily as silver chains and vanish from sight altogether. Alex's father was still missing and the closest beings that the young woman had to friends was a dog, a raving mad Pip-Boy and a man who could have been considered a terrorist in better, safer days. Brannon, the owner of the stall, seemed pleased with her offer and happily forked over four hundred caps for the small, unassuming wristlet. Apparently, solid silver had become quite a commodity and Alex was thankful that she had decided to sell it off to him. At least the man had good taste. She traded off her bracelet without a second shudder and purchased a simple outfit comprising of a heavy denim coat, trousers of a similar material and tough, knee high leather boots. Upon further examination, Alex found the boots to be lined with metal of the toecaps. Perfect for stomping on Mutants and Centaurs. Alex sold the numerous armour plating of the jumpsuit but kept the material shell. She could always use the denim to repair her equipment later. She also paid a quick visit to, ironically enough, "A Quick Fix" and haggled with the owner for medicals supplies. Two hundred caps later and several harsh comments passed before Alex eventually caved and paid full price for the much needed medical equipment. The last of her Caps were used by buying food and...Water from "Gary's Galley" Alex held a bottle of yellowed water up to the light and shook the bottle gently, sharp eyes watching the dance of dirt and grime inside the plastic, see-through bottle. One of her shoulder angels wanted nothing more than to throw the bottle back in the face of Gary but what logical reasoning Alex possessed reined back her violent tendencies and she purchased the water wordlessly. She would need water out in the Wastes and now was not the time to be picky.

While Alex dithered before leaving, she had absolutely no idea she was being watched intently. Alex's perception of the world around her was not sharp. When the girl turned to leave, she was jumped by an older woman who Alex suspected had been waiting for her. A dark skinned woman pulled a rather surprised Alex into an abandoned stall, glaring furiously at the young woman like Alex had just shot her baby. Alex matched the stare with her sour one. Beside the woman, her furry companion growled loudly. Like his owner, his defensive hackles were raised. Alex seemed to be rubbing off on the canine.

"You've been rather busy lately. Asking questions. Investigating. Is that it? You're some kind of Investigator for hire?" Alex was quite flabbergasted that a crazy woman was accusing her of some hideous crime. Quickly, that confusion swiftly changed to a watered down simmering of ire.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Or maybe you have some personal grudge against an innocent Android who simply wants to be left alone. Please tell me, I'd really like to know." Alex almost hit the woman right then and there. The Vault Dweller was a highly strung and high maintenance woman and unsurprisingly enough, the older woman had singlehandedly managed to insult, offend and enrage Alex all in one go. Quite an accomplishment in this author's opinion. No, Alex decided to be difficult and her teeth ground together in response.

"What I do in my own time is my own goddamned business," Alex scathed at the woman. Unaffected by not her tone, rather only her words, the woman simply placed her hands on her hips in a manner similar to Doctor Li. Only when Doctor Li did it, she looked professional and commanding. When the woman, who her Pip-Boy registered as Victoria Watts, did it; she looked ridiculous.

Alex guessed it was the lab coat.

"Don't you realise what you're doing? The path you're on has the potential to ruin a man's life. Is that what you really want?" the woman asked, not expecting an answer. Imagine her surprise when the younger girl not only answered but rendered her speechless.

"He's not a man, he's a machine. A machine created to look like and mimic humans. He's just a dressed up robot with hair and teeth and all that nice stuff. Nothing about him is real so how can I ruin the life of someone who hasn't got one to begin with?" Alex countered, surprising herself with her own bigotry. Alex had not expected to react so strongly to Watt's comment though she stood by her own statement. An android was nothing more than a being created with silicon-laced blood and synthetic skin. Instead of a real, human brain that takes years to fully develop, an android had nothing more than a hunk of metal brimming with sub-routines. What would take a human brain years to learn, an android could do in a heartbeat and still have time for more.

There was nothing human about that.

Nothing at all.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. That's exactly the kind of attitude that makes androids run away in the first place. It's people like you that keep androids believing that they are below us. Androids are people just like us and they deserve a chance at life too"

Whatever patience Alex possessed snapped with a crack. Had it been audible, it would have sounded like a whip slapping bare flesh.

"Save your own damn well race before you go trying to save a machine!" Alex snapped, coiling like a snake ready to strike again. The older woman rolled her eyes and suddenly reached to and ensnared Alex's hand with a vice-like grip. Before the said girl could open her mouth in protest, Victoria Watts shoved a sort of bio-neural component and closed the girl's finger around the device with a surprising gentleness.

"Look, I don't expect you to understand any of this. If you have a change of heart, please, deliver this to Doctor Zimmer and tell him the Android is dead. Don't ask me how I obtained it. If you're a smart enough lackey, you should realise what Doctor Zimmer is doing is wrong." The woman explained, letting go of Alex's hand as if arrogance and stubbornness was catching. The brunette stared down blankly at the small device; a slight blue glow radiating from the device caressed her skin. Alex looked up at the woman and frowned and, in a spasm of spontaneous stupidity and spite, the girl dropped the component to the ground. Before Victoria Watts could register what happened, Alex's boot was firmly implanted on the sizzling and spitting remains of the android component.

"Let's just get one thing straight here okay; It's nothing personal Watts, it's just business," Alex remarked, surprising both parties with her words. Victoria Watts was still speechless, her gaze locked on the remains of the Android module. Oddly enough, Alex felt no remorse for what she had done and stalked past the woman. It was an act of rudeness she could greatly satisfying. What right did that woman have to rag at her anyway?

Outside Rivet City, Alex was crossing the bridge before her Pip-Boy eventually spoke up.

"You really believe what you said back there lass?"

Alex stuffed her hands into her jacket pocket and looked back for Dogmeat. It took a few moments before the teenager eventually answered her device.

"About Androids? Yeah."

"Yeh consider me to be the same?" Alex let out a humourless snort.

"Well you're not exactly human." Her Pip-Boy flashed a bright red. Alex was a rather tactless woman at times.

"I consider meself to be human."

"How so? You're just a computer programme. An advanced one at that but a computer programme none the less." The device let out a disgruntled shrill of indignity.

"Listen lass, I be as real as you are!"

"You sure you're not just programmed to feel that way?"

"You being a bigot now Alex." By the time they reached the crossing and descended down the steps, Alex's Pip-Boy had deep fried himself in anger and was overcooked. He refused to speak to Alex until she apologised. Which was certainly not something Alex was about to do anytime soon.

Delusional machines. Really. What would the world think of next?

* * *

The hike to the "Smith Caseys Garage" was a daunting journey to say the least. Every mutant, raider and mole rat seemed to have a piece of the young woman on a silver platter. With the combined help of Dogmeat and a splash of luck, the Vault Dweller managed to come out of her battles relatively unscathed. A bruise here or a bump there did not worry Alex any more. Minor wounds like that were not worth the Stimpak to heal them. Alex did bend however, but it was to inject a Stimpak into the skin of her furry companion. Just like his owner, he was strong but stubborn and often threw himself into all kinds of frays. It was Dogmeat's job to kill any downed opponents that are knocked to the ground with a snap and tear of his powerful jaws. Usually, he had no problem with Raiders or Centaurs but Super Mutants were a different kind of problem for the animal. The flailing limbs of a Super Mutant were dangerous enough when knocked to the ground but sometimes, a Mutant was still armed when floored by Alex. Plus, the rough and tough texture of their waxy green skin was too thick for canines and incisors to puncture. So, the job of taking down Mutants was left to Alex.

Only Alex could be so lucky.

On their travels, Alex and her Pip-Boy discovered that Super Mutants did indeed have a weakness. When knocked to their back, Mutant's had a problem getting up. Their limbs flailed and the thrashed around on the ground but they could not summon up enough energy to push their massive hulk back upright. It was a weakness very similar to modern horses and it was a fatal one at that.

Alex and Dogmeat had branched up towards Megaton first, stopping to resupply and purchase Stimpaks from Gob. He sold them a decent amount at half price and bought some of the junk picked up by the girl. When he had handed over her little pile of supplies, Alex had been startled to find a small envelope inscribed with her name elegantly attached to the bundle. Puzzled, she had questioned Gob on the contents of the envelope. Gob had replied with a shrug that it had arrived for her a few days ago. The contents had made Alex splutter and blush; red stains starting at her cheeks and stretching to the roots of her brown hair. As it turned out, Burke seemed to like her significantly more than he let on; almost to the point of obsession. Alex tried her level best not to think about the implications that their encounter had caused.

Smith Caseys Garage was rundown, like everything in the Wasteland. Her Pip-Boy had plotted a course from Megaton and she followed mostly furrowed tracks and trails to reach their current destination. Due North was a raider encampment that Alex gave a wide berth. She was not nearly strong enough nor did she was the right equipment for the job. They had reached the rundown building quicker than she had expected; dusk only just slithering across the boundless sky when they arrived at the garage. In times of peace, Smith Casey's Garage would have once been a prosperous and profitable company. It was located not too far off from the ruins of a vast highway. The corpses of several cars scattered around the garage; mechanical intestines strewn about the place. Dust rose and fell in gasps of dark clouds; moved by the chilling breathing of the rapidly cooling air.

Alex prised open the door to the garage, paper crumpled in the inner pocket of her denim jacket. She slid the door open and poked her head inside the shed. Alex released the door, bracing her foot against the metal frame. Her Pip-Boy winked to life, scanning the room intently. A 3D map of the room appeared on his screen and was routed through onto Alex's green eyed vision; a large map appearing in front of her with the key areas of the building highlighted in white.

"Entrance to Vault 112 be concealed under that compartment," Came the Scottish accent of her Pip-Boy. Alex looked down at the device as she forced the door open and braced the metal hinge between the doorframe then signalled for her dog to follow through. The husky dog pursued his owner into the remains of the garage, sniffing the air intently; taking in the sour and almost cryptic air through his fluffy muzzle.

Alex paused to examine a collection of scrap on a nearby tool shelf, taking bits here and there.

"I thought you were in a huff with me?" The small device flashed orange on her wrist, apparently outraged at her assumption. Alex wondered briefly how long he had been able to match his feelings to the screen colour.

"I was nae in a huff." The girl grunted and before she could answer, Dogmeat interrupted the conversation by growling loudly; as if just to spite them. Alex stilled and strained her small ears. Sure enough, Alex heard the scuttling of feet against concrete. Two hairy mole rats bounded through from the other room. Dogmeat spurred to life and charged the mole rats with single minded determination. The skirmish was fairly short and was ended with three bullets and a bite or two from Dogmeat

"Where is the entrance?" Alex asked while shouldering her rifle, her eyes scanning the garage in quick, decisive jerks. The Pip-Boy whirled for a second before letting out a pitched ping.

"See that wee box on the wall there? There be a switch inside that should open up at door and...What are ya doing?" Alex rattled a toolbox in response, shoving a fission battery or two into her jacket pocket. Fission batteries fetched a nifty price of seventy five Caps at the market and were always sought after from Mechanics to Wastelanders. Seventy Five caps meant dinner for the night, a Stimpak and maybe twenty rounds of ammo. Her Pip-Boy let out a dull shrill that Alex supposed was his idea of a sigh.

"Entrance is over there once you've finished looting," he remarked. Alex dropped her bag to stuff a bottle of Nuka Cola into one of the side pockets and roll up a copy of a Tumblers Magazine that Dogmeat had scavenged from an open safe. She gave the garage the once over with her eyes when she suddenly noticed something jutting out a bin. Amongst the litter and empty tin cans sat a bottle of bright blue, glowing liquid. On the sides of the bottle were the words "Nuka Cola Quantum" stamped in equally blue lettering. With the bottle clutched in her hand, Alex crossed the room and flickered open the control box and activated the switch. The large doors on the ground popped open with a wheezy snort and a day or two ago, Alex would have almost jumped a foot in the air. Not now as she watched the thin doors prise themselves apart and wondered who on earth had thought building a Vault beneath a garage was clever idea.

* * *

Alex stood dumbly in front of the entrance to Vault 112, not entirely sure why she had not entered the place yet. Beside her, Dogmeat pawed her leg impatiently; obviously eager to get everything over with and leave the hollowed out rock for good. Dogmeat was not entirely sure what exactly he was doing standing inside the metal tunnel but his packmate seemed to know what she was looking for. And as long as his sister knew what she was doing, Dogmeat was satisfied and would follow her to the ends of the earth.

Alex took in a gasp of cold, sharp air and flicked the console to life. The large, cog-like door let out a mixture of mechanical hisses and alarm bells that chased away nothing and only stirred painful memories within the girl. Dogmeat had skittered backwards in fright, hanging back several feet from the door. As the mechanical gateway slid open with a deafening groan, Alex turned to her furry companion and coaxed him forward. In this painful time, Alex would need him as much as he needed her. She was so close to finding her father, so very close now. Slowly, the dog inched forward once the roaring of the gate deceased and Alex entered the Vault.

Vault 112 was an even bigger disappointment than Megaton. Alex had expected to walk into the Vault and find the faces of several hundred people blinking back at her. But instead, Alex met only barren hallways and sterile walkways. Everything was perfectly polished and practically gleaming with that "New Vault" shine. Further investigating showed that there had been no signs of a struggled and the sleeping quarters were loaded with belongings that had never been used. Alex toyed with the idea that the beds had not even been slept in. It was as if Vault 112 had been built but no one ever set foot in the place. The Vault was frightfully cold and she had to ground her teeth together to prevent them from chattering. Alex breathed out and a gasp of warm air escaped her lungs, condensing into a hazy mist in the air. Her Pip-Boy registered the temperature at only maybe 4 degrees. It was a wonder that the technology had not frozen.

Alex headed on down past a rather docile Robobrain, footprints leaving a dusty little trail on the polished flooring. The Robobrain from the entrance let out what could be described as a tut and began following her down the corridor; a small brush and dustpan attached to robotic limbs. Inside the largest room in the complex, were roughly ten or twelve rounded pods. Each case was approximately 3 metres in length and made of polished steel and aluminium. Connected to each pod were several cords that were linked directly into a small, flat panel monitor that displayed the occupant's medical readings. Alex searched each Pod in turn until she eventually found the pod that housed her father.

"Dad? Dad! Dad!"He was alive and safe enough but when Alex rapped on the glass, he completely ignored her. "Dad! Wake up! It's me!" Alex shouted, her face pressed up against the glass of the pod. Dogmeat barked loudly, hoping to rouse the man within the glass pod. Several minutes passed before Alex gave up and lumped down to the cold ground; one hand still resting on the pod. Her dog nuzzled against her flank with his cold nose. Alex dropped a heavy hand onto his head, lacing her fingers through his head.

"Lass, you'll need to jump in one of those fancy pods," The Pip-Boy flashed in the darkness of Vault 112.

"Are you sure?"

"It will be the only way to find dad." Alex raised her brunette haired head and surveyed the area, one pod empty several steps away from her. Alex struggled up from her place on the ground and turned to Dogmeat.

"Stay here boy," She ordered as best as she could, using her no-nonsense tone that she saved especially for him. The dog whined and his tail flopped from side to side. But he stayed faithfully next to Alex's father's pod. The young woman slung off her backpack and unhooked her assault rifle then dropped them down beside her pod. Alex ignored the outraged whirls from Robobrain to put on a Vault 112 jumpsuit and clambered into the egg shaped pod. It was raised quite high up from the ground and it took a little bit of effort for Alex's short and stubby legs to heave her up.

The moment the girl sat inside the pod, the top half of the capsule closed down around her. Alex felt a rise of panic but managed to force it back down before it stole the advantage. In front of her, a panel screen flipped down from the ceiling of the pod; beckoning Alex to look into it. It was impossible not to. There was nowhere else to look. The second Alex let her guard down; the visual imitation grabbed her by the throat and hauled her into the simulation. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Alex heard her Pip-Boy whirled out something angrily but she had forgot how to speak or move. Heck, not even her fingers would twitch. Jade hues focused squarely on the small, black screen and everything else around the girl had become nothing more than a sideshow attraction to her mind.

Then the world faded into a washout black.

* * *

Bright pink blinded her vision and Alex aware that she was wearing a dress. Not just any dress, but one of those hideously pink things that parents and children alike tended to avoid lest they wanted to be ridiculed. Alex blinked as the world around her slowly shifted back into position and for a brief moment, she thought she had died and gone to heaven. The girl sat on a bench in what appeared to be a cul-de-sac. Seven perfectly neat houses surrounded the girl; white bricks starched to perfection and black slats gleamed on the rooftop. Each house was exactly the same, surrounded by a neat little hedge with not even more leaf was out of place. People outside went about their daily business; talking to one another over the fence or doing some yard work. In front of the girl was a playground with only one child, another girl, occupying it and somewhere off to the left was a boy at a lemonade stand.

Alex was left with only one question running loops around her mind: What was this place?

Determined to get some answers, Alex swung her tiny legs forward and leaved her body from the park bench. She looked down at her wrist and was stunned to find her Pip-Boy missing; replaced only with a Vault-Tec child's watch. It was only then did Alex realise that she was a ten year old child again and would have screamed had shock not placed a silencer on her voicebox. She raised a hand to her head and felt shoulder length brown hair held back with the pink satin headband. She gave one lock a sharp, sore tugAlex tugged at the hem of her dress, trying to make it longer somehow. She had not worn a dress in many years and felt oddly exposed wearing one now. Alex was also equally as shocked to discover she had not grown that much since she was ten. Everyone was still ridiculously tall and Alex had to crane her neck to look up at people. It was an action that probably would have pissed her off in the real world. But this was not her world so Alex held her tongue when people walked past and ruffled her brunette haired head fondly like she was some unruly little puppy.

The girl approached the playground that one of the happy residents of the cul-de-sac had mentioned, looking thoroughly unimpressed and sour. When Alex neared the park, a huge Alsatian jumped out from a collection of shrubbery and effectively floored the small girl. He was massive; coming up to at least Alex's waist and was covered in thick, black fur with a few creamy markings laced through his coat. The dog nuzzled against her in a manner similar to Dogmeat and licked her face; tail wagging like there was no tomorrow.

"Get off me," Alex managed to push the Alsatian back with whatever muscle was in her small, sticklike arms. The dog stepped back and stared at her with large, brown eyes. For a moment, something vaguely human flickered within their chocolate depths.

"Bad Doc, bad!" An innocent, childlike voice chirped out; trying its hardest to sound threatening. Seconds later, Alex was joined by the little girl she had seen previously. She had a cute face, carroty coloured locks and wore a little green dress with shiny silver buttons. The large dog in front of Alex growled loudly at the child; fangs bared into a snarl. The girl appeared unfazed by the actions of the animal, simply letting a smile cross her face. The smile was neither kind nor caring and something about it made Alex's skin shiver.

"Oh goody! Someone new to play with! What good luck I'm having lately." Alex stared at the girl as if she was mad.

"I'm looking for my father, have you seen him?" The child quirked her head to the side and something about that simple action annoyed Alex beyond belief.

"Gee, I don't know, what's he look like?"

"He's an older guy, around fifty or so." The girl let out a sugar coated squeal of laughter that made Alex wince slightly.

"That's your daddy? I had no idea! Oh we are going to have so much fun."

"What do you mean?" That sounded unintelligent, even to Alex's ears. The little girl however, simply giggled and waved her watering can about.

"We're going to play a game now silly. That's what I mean," she remarked happily, her grin a little too wide for Alex's liking.

"Tell me where my father is. I know he is here," Alex threatened, her tone coming out nothing more than little squeaks. The said girl would have laughed had the situation been any different.

"Oh, don't be mean. I said we're going to play a game and that's what we are going to do," the child insisted. Alex fought the urge to kick the girl and succeeded. She crossed her arms, threw her head to the side and glared at the offending child.

"What do you want me to do?"

"That's the spirit! All you have to do is make Timmy cry."

"What? I'm not making a kid cry! That's horrible."

"Don't be like that."

"No, I'm not playing your stupid game," Alex stated, jade eyes narrowed. The painfully malicious smile on the other girl's face wavered slightly.

"Oh well, guess you'll never find out where your daddy is then," she remarked in mock disappointment, ending the conversation. Alex faltered; loyalty squashed under the weight of her ego. In truth, it had not been about making the Timmy child cry but rather her arrogance. Alex couldn't stomach the thought of asking this...girl for help. The brunette was not going to play silly little games with the child. There was something off about her – she spoke as if Tranquillity Lane belonged solely to her and the residents within it were her property. Contempt and that bitter mixture of malicious swirled around the child watering the daises innocently. Whatever the child was, she hid herself behind a sweet face and polished silver fastenings.

Alex turned on her heel and stalked off, the Alsatian dog following her. She stopped and opened her mouth to tell him to go away but the protest died in her throat when Alex finally looked at the dog properly. Shimmering faintly in the chocolate eyed vision of the canine was the reflection of her father. It was fleeting and sudden but it was there. Alex stared in complete bewilderment and shock.

There was just no way that could possibly be her father.

Or could it? There was something oddly familiar about that friendly, furry face.

Stranger things had happened. Alex was ten again.

"Dad? Is that you?" she asked with uncertainty. The dog barked in response and sat back on his hind legs, pawing the air with one leg as if to say: _Yes sweetie, it's me_. Alex leaned down and hugged the hairy animal; tiny arms wrapped around his thick, furry neck. The upper row of her teeth bit down on her lower lip to prevent herself from crying. The Alsatian rested his heavy head on her shoulder and let out a deep sigh; his tail flopping from side to side.

From the left of the girl came footsteps and she suddenly felt someone tap her free shoulder. Alex raised her russet haired head and came face to face with a wrinkled old woman; mouth agape and eyes so loose from their sockets that Alex feared they would fall right out onto the pavement.

"You? You don't belong here. What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for my dad. What is this place?" Alex questioned, relived to finally find someone who knew what was happening.

"We're not really here. We're not really talking. This is all just a dream made up by him. But it's now a nightmare." Alex's fingers clutched the comforting, soft fur of who she considered to be her father.

"Him?" A flicker of fear shot across the face of the old woman and she looked towards the playground, where the child was squishing her daises.

"He calls himself Betty now but he's still that evil Braun. Bastard thinks that just because he made this place, he's god here. But I know he still uses the Failsafe Terminal."

"Failsafe Terminal?" The older woman leaned in close to whisper to the small girl.

"It's in the abandoned house. Braun doesn't let us go near there but you can!" Alex's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"How do you know all this?"

"Can't sleep at night, hear voices. My own skin doesn't feel right anymore. Use the failsafe and end this nightmare" The old lady continued to blabber, mostly incoherent bullshit and ramblings of a mad woman. Alex and her furry companion slipped away sheepishly and left to her to toil away in obscurity.

It didn't take long for Alex to find the abandoned house. It was the only house on the block without any garden accessories and looked rather plain compared to the others. Alex suddenly felt like a crimimal as she glanced around behind her, still expecting a heavy hand to descend on her shoulder or stern words to stop her in her tracks. But nothing came and Alex pushed the door open wordlessly.

Ten minutes into the search found Doc sat on a moth eaten sofa while Alex literally turned the house upside down, effectively working herself into a temper tantrum. Every now and then, his furry head would dip down to miss a tin can or a box of cigarettes that Alex would fling into foyer. She wasn't specifically aiming for him but he just happened to be in the way. Several minutes later, Alex stomped back through from the kitchen with a face like thunder. It was so dark that Alex could barely see in front of her and only knew where her..._father_ sat from the dull, fuzzy shape of his canine body. Alex slumped down onto the worn carpet, a disgruntled frown gracing her features while she pondered what exactly she was supposed to be looking for. Alex scoffed and stretched out her legs, wondering if the Failsafe termination actually existed. Sitting on an upturned table was a garden gnome and before Alex realised what was happening, she had picked up a tin can and tossed it towards the ornament. The tin made a direct hit but instead of toppling to the ground, the gnome let out a high pitched ping. The girl sat up straight; her head quirked to the side in curiosity. Had she imagined that? The girl picked her body from the ground and crept over the garden goblin. Alex extended a small finger and flicked the gnome again. Without fail, a shrilling ping sounded off it once again. Alex turned to the rest of the random junk around the room, flicking each in turn to find that they had had a specific tone.

Filled with new hope, Alex collected up the cinder block, the garden gnome, the empty coke bottle, an old radio and a plastic jug then arranged then into a neat little pile. The cinder block had taken quite a bit of effort but Alex managed it somehow. The Alsatian dog hopped off the couch to sit by her side while she flicked each item in turn; trying desperately to remember the combination. If Braun were not notice she was not in the street, he would suspect her to be tampering so the girl had to work quickly.

* * *

Gunshots penetrated the air; shattering the perfect perfection into a million pieces and in that moment, ten people screamed together. Since leaving the Vault, Alex had grown accustomed to hearing gunshots but nothing could prepare the girl for what she was hearing. Over the shouts and commands of the Chinese Commandos, Alex heard the gruesome cries of the innocent residents being slaughtered where they stood. So alien did their cries sound and Alex felt the wolf like howls through her spine rather than her ears. Before jade eyes, the unit of Chinese Soldiers tore through the fleeing residents like it was some a sort of twisted game. Oddly enough, when Alex opened the gate with the large dog in tow, the Chinese Soldiers did nothing to halt her advance. Alex took several deep, calming breaths, trying to wrestle down her self-loathing. _'It's for their own good, it's for their own good,' _Alex thought, repeating the line over and over again while she walked calmly towards the playground. A hazy, holographic door had sprouted in the middle of the playground. It was so obscure looking that Alex let a laugh escape her throat before turning her attention back to the demonic child.

"Betty" was having a temper tantrum that would make even Alex stop and stare. It was like rivets had popped on the child; tears gushed from her large blue eyes in rivers. Her pretty, demonic face was screwed up and she was stomping on the poor daises again. Alex looked at her properly and finally saw what the girl was. She was nothing more than nature's oldest trick: evil hiding behind the cloak of beauty. Alex highly doubted she was weeping for the lives lost to such mindless and cruel violence.

"Do you realise what you have done! Stupid girl! You've triggered the Failsafe and ruined everything! The subjects will die and I will be stuck here in this hell! Alone!" Instead of the sickeningly sweet voice assaulting Alex's eardrums, an older European tongue verbally struck her. Alex stumbled back in shock and stood on the dog's foot. A yelp escaped both parties. Alex quickly recovered and stood her usually, somewhat intimidating stance. "You've ruined everything! Everything!" The stroppy girl squeaked, voice sugary again and her hands balled into fists. Alex was surprised Betty had not hit her yet.

"I've put these people out of their misery and you're getting exactly what you deserve." That did not sound nearly as impressive as it did in the girl's mind. The tears continued to rain down the child's face in a truly pathetic sight. Alex would have rolled her eyes had she not felt so fucked up and out of place.

"You've taken them all from me! I've got nothing left! It's not fair! Nobody will ever play with me again." Alex snorted and one hand reached down to straighten her little pink dress.

"You're a fucked up fruit Braun. You deserve this life for what you did to them." His log books had hidden nothing from her. The girl knew the frighteningly shocking horrors that Braun had put the residents through. Alex glanced over her shoulder to make sure that the large Alsatian Dog was safe. Doc pawed the ground and stared at the girl with an almost disapproving expression on his muzzle. Alex pondered that perhaps, she had been too harsh to the demonic child.

"Just...leave. There's the door. Take your father and go," the child remarked, turning away from Alex to examine the remains of the squished flowers. As if someone else was controlling her actions, Alex swivelled to grasp the unassuming handle of the door and forced it open with all the strength her ten year old body possessed. Instead of a wash to black, light struck Alex's eyes and she felt no more.

* * *

"Alex? Alex lass? Can you hear me? Speak to me!" The girl stirred in her pod, her numb fingers twitching gently. Alex wanted to speak but she had all but forgotten how. As her brain worked hard to catch up with her body, Alex became aware of the pulsing headache that began to blossom in her temples. The small pod was alight with the flashings of red from her Pip-Boy and, like a bad dream, Alex recalled everything that had happened within the simulation. She wet her dry lips and attempted to speak, hands searching for a way to inject from the pod.

"I'm here," the brunette managed to croak out. Her Pip-Boy sighed glows of green with relief.

"You gave me quite a scare Lass. You've been almost comatose for almost four days." Alex's stomach clenched and she felt like hurling.

"Four days?" she rasped, throat burning.

"As soon as you entered that simulation, I could' nae get a response from you. All that could be done was monitoring your vitals and pray you found a way out." Alex found the purge handle and pulled it; causing the pod to spring open. Wisps of fog pooled out over the side of the egg shaped cradle. Alex struggled from the pod chair, desperate to distance herself from the nightmarish paradise that she had been a part of. When her boots met the metal grating of the floor, Alex felt herself stumbled slightly. A bark dragged the teenager from her pool of shock and Alex looked towards the sound. Stumbling out of his own pod that leaked mist was the man that Alex had spent so long searching for. James Halsey clutched his forehead, most likely feeling the same way.

"Dad," Alex breathed, managing to move towards him steadily. Dark brown eyes locked with her for a moment and James could only mime her name on silent lips. Her father closed the distance between them with three strides before he swept his tiny daughter into his arms. How wonderful his bread felt against her forehead. How strong and comforting his hug. He had to clear his voice several times before he could speak. "My brave little girl," he whispered into her messy haired head. Alex leaned into his embrace and burrowed nose into his chest, taking in all his warmth all at once.

James felt a patch of dampness against his chest and the shoulders of his small daughter began to shudder. The doctor simply held his daughter and allowed her that moment of security of peace.

Gods knew they would need it in the coming days.

* * *

**That's a rap guys. I'll go back and fine tooth it a bit more tomorrow but I'm beat now.  
Goodnight children!**


	6. Chapter Six: Sacrifice

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. And man, did this chapter take a while, and boy is it long. I'm quite pleased with the results myself. Some of it could be tweaked here and there but on the whole, I'm pretty proud. Now, as you'll discover that I have made some real serious changes to this part of the Fallout storyline. I won't say too much now but you'll soon see what I'm** **talking about. **

**Big thanks to The Sixth listening to my crappy ideas. Even though I ignored most of it. More thanks to the following: netbreaker0, MysticGohan88, dumbrat, Weretiger Marduk, Fullcircle and Five. You guys are great!**

**Please, once you're finished here, go and have a read of a few other awesome Fallout fanfictions. I always do.  
"Fallout: Red Sun" by Shinsou808, "Diamonds and Rust" by Agent Hellgirl, "Fallout 3: The Avenger" by Mr Wang 330, "The Ghoul, The Bad and The Ugly" by InRodWeTrust, "Excavation" by Kosmokomik and "The Lone Wanderer" by LovelyxxMelody! Heres to them! **

**Oh and before I forget, a message to Mitce: Heck, I don't even like that chapter. But I needed to put something up. However, what I dislike the most are reviewers who can't say one positive thing about a chapter or story. If you had balanced it out by saying something good about the chapter, then suggesting what could be improved, then I probably would have been fine with it.**

**Forgive me dear readers, needed to get that out of my system. I hate putting those messages on a chapter but it was an anonymous without an email address attached.**

**Please enjoy.**

* * *

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"****Sound the bugle now  
Tell them I don't care  
There's not a road I know  
That leads to anywhere  
Without a light feat that I will  
Stumble in the dark  
Lay right down  
decide not to go on****"  
-Bryan Adams, Sound The Bugle**

**Chapter Six: **Sacrifice

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **21:36**  
Current Date**: 21/07/2277  
**Current Location**: "Vault 112"

"Oh Alex my brave girl. You saved me. I was afraid I was going to be stuck in there forever." Finger smoothed Alex's greasy hair, working out the knots and tangles at the back.

Warmth and comfort was a commodity that Alex had been since long without. Now, nothing could be more rewarding than the heat from her father's jumpsuit and the sensation of his arms enclosed around her tiny shoulders. He gripped her so tight that Alex thought her head would pop right off her shoulders.

Unfortunately, Alex's new found comforter pulled away.

"It's so good to see you but what are you doing here?" James Halsey inquired, dipping his head slightly so he could meet her eyes. His own reflection stared right back at him, mouth dented in a deep frown. Something about his small daughter had changed, something he could not place nor forget. It was not until James looked at her properly did he realise something was amiss. He was waiting for Alex to explode; waiting for the ticking time bomb that was his daughter to detonate. James watched as a dark fire clouded his daughter's eyes.

Alex opened her mouth, ready to spew up everything that had happened.

And the girl did just that.

"What am I doing here? What are YOU doing here? You could have been killed" Alex remarked, not bothering to bite back her livid tone. A sigh escaped the lips of James Halsey.

"Well, I didn't expect Braun to be alive and insane. I had just hoped to find his notes, maybe a holotape or two. I needed his information on the G.E.C.K," James rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers appreciatively. "It feels so good to be on two legs again." Alex quirked an eyebrow in a playful manner; momentary forgetting her anger.

"What? You didn't like being a dog?" James let out a healthy chuckle, also forgetting that Alex was supposed to be mad at him.

"Well, I suppose it had its moments. In the end, I much prefer having opposable thumbs," he remarked.

Speaking of dogs.

A high pitched whistle escaped Alex's lips and her father jumped. The husky dog scurried over from James's tranquillity lounger. In all the commotion and excitement, Alex had completely forgotten he was there. A gloved hand reached out and stroked his furry forehead. James looked down, only just noticing the animal for the first time.

"Who's your friend?"

"This is my Dog."

"You didn't name him?"

"Well I could of but I'm not sure he would like that," Alex remarked, fiddling with the toggles on her jacket. James held a hand out to the dog, who gingerly shuffled forward; tail flickering from left to right feebly. Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes while James squatted down to pet Dogmeat.

Show Dog.

"So this G.E.C.K.O thing?"

"G.E.C.K honey."

"Whatever. What does it do?" Furrows of concentration dug themselves deep into James's forehead.

"Braun's work, The G.E.C.K – which stands for The Garden Of Eden Creation Kit – was designed to readapt environments for living after a nuclear war."

"Hmm, sounds perfect. What's the catch?" Her father smiled and ruffled her brown hair before Alex could protest.

"Same old Alex, always thinking negatively."

"I don't 'always' think negatively," Alex shot back, pushing her father's large hand off her small head.

"Could have fooled me honey."

"We've getting off topic. What's with this G.E.C.K?"

"Ah yes. The G.E.C.K is not entirely stable. That doesn't matter to us. It's the components we need, it's what we have been missing." Now it was Alex's turn to frown.

"Where can we get one of these G.E.?"

"We will need to return to Rivet City and see Madison, tell her what we have found out. As for the G.E.C.K? Probably need to get a hold of the Brotherhood Of Steel. If anyone knows where a G.E.C.K can be found, it's them." Something flickered in Alex's gaze and the top row of her teeth found her bottom lip. James had seen that look far too often for his liking. Instead of skipping around the bush with his daughter, James approached the subject head on.

"Alex? What did you do?"

It was useless to try climb out of the hole Alex had been dropped in and equally as pointless to try and lie her way out. Like her father, Alex chose a direct approach.

"I'm not on the best terms with the Brotherhood."

"Oh Alex, how did you manage that?"

"Pissed off the Lyon's pride. Whatever that is. Sarah Lyons says it the best of the Brotherhood but I think she's lying." Alex remarked candidly. Her father's jaw twitched into a deep frown.

"You don't waste any time do you?" The corners of Alex's mouth twitched curved upwards into a smirk that James was not accustomed to seeing her wear.

"If you think that's bad, you should have heard some of the stuff I've said out here." An awkward silence enveloped the pair, and both knew what was to come next. James had been dreading it and Alex had been awaiting it. The teenager wet her lips and let loose the question that had been buzzing inside her brain like a poked bee hive.

"Why Dad? Why did you leave without saying anything?" Alex whispered, effectively thinning the already strained atmosphere. James opened his mouth to speak but no words could describe why he had chosen to keep his daughter in the dark. It was one of those moments when one knew exactly what they wanted to say but nothing ever seemed right, and any excuse did not seem nearly good enough.

"Sweetie, I didn't want you to get hurt...This Wasteland, it's not the life that your mother and I wanted for you. The Vault was safe." The girl swallowed the lump in her throat, her hands balled into tight wads against her denim clad thighs. She wanted to be angry; just wanted feel that all too familiar surge of fire hot hate. But it never came. She just couldn't be mad at him. Despite everything that had happened, Alex could not summon up any odium for her father. Not one bone in her body hated the man.

"Dad, when you left...the Overseer tried to kill me," came Alex's fragile reply.

Disbelief painted her father's face an unflattering sickly white. "Are you serious Alex?" The said girl winced, the phantom wounds of escaping that fateful day still stung. Alex didn't say anything – she did not need to. Her father read her expression as easily as he would a book and understood everything in a heartbeat. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I had never expected that he would react like that. I had hoped he would just blame me and leave you alone." Alex shrugged it off with a roll of her shoulders and stared at the ground

"Hey, I'm still standing so I'm okay," her tone was flippant but her eyes told a different story. James reached out and lifted her chin slightly to meet her gaze.

"You're not okay are you Alex?" The teenager fidgeted under his stare.

"What gave it away?"

"I thought as much. Perhaps we should get some rest before heading off for Rivet City," her father stated, reaching down to take her small hand like he did all those years ago. Alex did not protest in the slightest and ambled along with him; her furry friend in tow. Until Alex's father led her towards the unused living quarters, she had been oblivious to the fact that her Pip-Boy had been silently communicating with the Pip-Boy on her father's wrist. Housed within the confines of James's Pip-Boy laid the personality of a docile Australian. He was relaxed and chilled, much like his owner and much unlike Alex's Pip-Boy.

Small corridors lead the pair of former Vault Dwellers into the main living area. The crypt-like ambience increased tenfold around the two and Alex found that she was gripping the hand of her father a little too tightly. Alex glanced at her father, shocked to find him perfectly at home in the deathly silent hallways. The living quarters were a touch warmer than the main entrance so Alex's teeth stopping dancing in her mouth. A reconnaissance of the cafeteria provided father and daughter with enough food to last for several winters and a raid of the sick bay resupplied the pair with much needed medical equipment.

They were sitting on one of the many single beds before James attempted to shift the heavy silence that burdened both himself and his daughter. Alex was picking at her nails with a small frown, her dog flopped down on the bed opposite; ears twitching every now and then.

"You want to talk?"

"There is nothing to talk about, I'm fine," Alex insisted though there was little point in attempting to lie to the older man.

"Yes there is. And no Alex, you're not."

"Dad, can we just drop it okay?" the girl snapped back.

"I understand Alex but don't take that attitude with me. I'm still your father, whatever that is worth to you." His tone was warning enough to stamp out Alex's hostility. With the creak of springs straining, Alex rolled over on her bed; apparently in a huff. James released a sigh and didn't press the issue. He knew from countless verbal battles that it was best just to leave Alex alone for a while; lest he want to provoke her anger further. She would speak again once she calmed down. It was a quirk she had inherited from her mother. James's facial expression twitched into a saddened frown and the eternal wound within his heart flared up again. The hazy, misty Catherine's cheeky and bright smile floated into his mind. When Alex was a young girl, she loved hearing tales of her mother and James loved to tell them. When his wife knew she was dying, Catherine had pleaded with him. _Don't let her forget me_, she had said with tear filled eyes, _I'll wait for her in heaven but just don't let her forget_.

AndJames had promised, but soon after they arrived in Vault 101, the scent of Catherine had vanished from memory and the sound of her voice became an echo. Being out in the Wasteland rejuvenated his memories and James able to recall more and more of his beloved wife. Megaton brought back the best as that was where he first met her: a tiny little woman ragging at the saloon owner for trying to cop a feel. It was hard to believe that the small, fiery little woman was the esteemed scientist he had been hunting for. He had been completely riveted to her; been drawn indisputably to the way she had held herself and the fire and strength she had poured into every word. That very same strength and passion had been passed down onto their daughter

James looked towards Alex and stilled for a moment. Small snuffles could hear heard, escaping chapped lips every few seconds; coupled with deep breathing. Alex had been more tired than she had let on. He got up and crept across to her bed, picking up a discarded blanket as he went. James tucked her in as softly as he did many years ago and a hand reached out to smooth rich brown locks. James smiled gently at Alex. He recalled briefly what had made both him and Catherine choose the name Alexandra for her. Catherine had seen it in an old, pre-war book of name meanings and had been completely taken it. So had he. They were both so sure that their little girl would be live up to the title of Alexandra, "Man's Defender." James patted the husky dog on his furry head; pausing to scratch behind his ear. "You been taking care of my little girl?" His voice soft and comforting. The dog dipped his head so slightly then raised it again. James stared, thinking that he had imagined it.

"She's quite cute when she's asleep isn't she Doc?" came the playing accent of his Aussie Pip-Boy. James could not help but nod in agreement. For the moment, the good doctor had lost all ability to speak properly.

The old scientist stared at his daughter for a few more moments before he retreated back to his own bed, flicking off the lights and kicking off his boots. He lay staring at the ceiling for a few moments, listening to the sound of Alex's breathing and the snuffles of her dog. The sandman had an easy fight on his hands for James went willingly into the city of deep slumber.

* * *

The hike to back Rivet City was less than uneventful and Alex was glad that her father was accompanying her. Both Pip-Boys had worked double-time to keep their owner's safe; increasing their sensors, calculating percentage hits and charging up Action Points quicker. The temperature had continued to climb the moment they had emerged from Vault 112 and showed no signs of ceasing. Leather straps blistered and rubbed the skin beneath Alex's clothes raw and the heat caused the girl to be even more fractious than usual. Alex was not sure she could take another step, much less get to Rivet City.

They were crossing the bridge when another argument broke out between the pair. When they had stopped in Megaton for a well earned break, Moriarty had surprised both parties by presenting Alex with yet another letter from the mysterious Mister Burke. James had watched carefully for Alex's reaction, expecting her to snub the saloon owner off with some choice words and roll of her tongue. To his great surprise, Alex had done nothing but blush beneath her light suntan and took the letter with trembling fingers. Such a reaction had been worth a thousand words to the old Halsey scientist. _Those,_ long dormant parental instincts kicked in and James found himself being equally as defensive as his own daughter.

"Dad, It didn't mean anything. I just...convinced him that Megaton was best left alone." The butting, clashing of opinions was almost audible.

"Looks like you did a pretty good job convincing him: 'My Beloved, the pain of your absence is at times crippling.'"

"Were you reading over my shoulder?"

"Sweetie, I-I was worried."

"Oh some cheek you've got!"

"Honey, that Mister Burke fellow is a shady character." Alex wretched open the door leading into the staircase, not bothering in the slightest to hide her displeasure. The last thing she needed was an over-protective parent. Burke she could handle, but a nosey father was nearly impossible.

"How would you know? You were only in Megaton, what? Five minutes." Heavily booted feet crunched against the wired staircase, followed closely by the scrabbling of paws.

"I spoke to him. He wanted to know if I was interested in his business proposal but I didn't have the time to find out what it was There was something terribly off about him." Alex rounded another corner, stopping for a second to read the latest news bulletins displayed on the flat panel monitors that were bolted all over the ship. Out of Alex's sight, her father's hands balled into fists within his jacket pockets.

"Burke is not all that bad Dad." Alex's loud voice was attracting the stares of several curious onlookers that passed them in the small, confined corridor.

"Sweetie, he wanted you to blow up Megaton. He's hardly husband material." Alex's cheeks flared up; all but glowing red.

"I didn't say he was!"

"You were thinking it Alex. You've never shown this much interest in a man since Freddie Gomez."

"I wouldn't want that jerk as my husband. He'd probably sell me off when I got old or something." Her father chuckled as he pushed open the bulkhead door that lead to Doctor Li's lab. The said doctor was hunched over a sea of paperwork when Alex and her father approached her. Obviously, she had been expecting only one pair of footsteps for she suddenly looked up, surprised, and met a pair of equally determined stares.

"James," Doctor Li whispered, at a complete loss for words. The older man dipped his head into a nod.

"Yes Madison. I've found it." Alex suddenly felt very out of place and took to petting Dogmeat while the two scientists discussed matters that were way above her head.

"Found what James?" James eyes were gleaming as if he had just had another child. Alex supposed, in a way, that he had.

"What we have been missing all this time. I know Project Purity can work." The top row of Madison's fine, straight teeth bit down on her bottom lip and she dropped her pencil.

"How?"

"We need a G.E.C.K. The parts within the technology are just what we need." The older woman released a snort similar to Alex.

"The G.E.C.K is a myth James. You'll never be able to find one."

"The Brotherhood of Steel might know where to find one. I know the G.E.C.K exists. This is what we have been waiting for."

"I don't know James, after all this time. Is it really worth trying again?"

"Yes, I know it can work. All we are lacking is the equipment." Doctor Li released a sigh and fingers reached up to rub her tempers.

"Alright James, I can get a small team together but it's going to take a while to get things up and running again." A brow arched up her father's forehead.

"How much time are we looking at here?" Again, Madison Li's teeth clenched her lip.

"By the time we get equipment ready, transport it over, and get things habitable and not to mention gut out the mutants. We're looking at about two months, minimum."

Her father rubbed his rough, weathered palms together in a manner Alex wasn't entirely sure she liked. "Well, we'd best get started right away then. Sooner the better."

Alex didn't share his enthusiasm.

**

* * *

**

**Pip-Boy Serial Number:** V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **07:45  
**Current Date:** 23/10/2277  
**Current Location:** Jefferson Memorial**.**

Three months dwindled by, bringing with it the season of autumn. With autumn came cooler temperatures, fiercer creatures and larger groups of Raiders. Even the Super Mutants seemed to sense winter was approaching for they attacked various settlements over the Wasteland in greater numbers. James Halsey had been listening in disgust that very morning when Three Dog listed off towns that had been struck by the mutant parties. The knowledge had spurred Alex, her father and the rest of the team to speed up repairs of Project Purity and slowly, the building had begun to resemble its previous appearance.

Within Project Purity, Alex dropped her copy of Dean Electronics down with a heavy thud. Dogmeat jumped slightly from his place on the bed and shot his owner a reproachful look. The brunette smiled a toothy grin as she reached for her tool belt. The canine had been on edge since they started living within the walls of Project Purity. Alex had a sneaky suspicion it was due to the fact that he did not approve of staying in one place for so long. The girl hardly blamed him. After hiking all over the Wasteland, Alex found it strange to be staying so long in one place.

A hand reached to the base of her neck; gently rubbing the squeaking muscles. Brunette locks ghosted over her fingertips as she massaged the throbbing muscles; a sure sign that her hair had grown longer over the past three months. Russet hair now fell just above her shoulders, making the young woman look a tad more feminine. This was fine by her for she had lost so much weight recently that it was even harder to tell if she was girl or not. The night before, her father had stopped by with a type of Brahmin stew and refused to leave until she had finished every bite. Like any decent, aspiring badass, Alex had protested until she was blue in the mouth. But her father had not budged on the matter and Alex was secretly grateful that he had taken time out of his busy schedule to play parent again.

The brunette turned to her dog. "Stay here. Be a good dog," Alex stated sharply. The husky raised his head and shot Alex that clearly said:

_I'm always a good dog. What are you on human? _

Alex left her room and headed up to the Rotunda, passing scientists and fellow mechanics along the way. The inner workings of the Jefferson Memorial was separated into three different levels; The Sub memorial where most of the work was done, the museum level and the Rotunda. The museum level was where most of the paper work, calculations and various other experiments were conducted. The sub-Memorial level was where the magic of Project Purity happened and the Rotunda housed the wizards who created the project. Consoles flickered and winked against every wall space like a sort of intricate piece of artwork. Chemistry sets bubbled and brewed away like witch's stew, breathing a constant sting into the air. Ever since the lights of Project Purity had been switched on again, people were coming involved with the project more and more. A blanket of rumour had smothered the Wasteland since they returned to the Project and more volunteers had shown up with each day that passed. Some, like her father, stayed the entire time but most only stayed for an hour or two at most; helped get something done then left. Soon, the once messy and mutant infested hallways were tidy and crowded with people. So much that, in the afternoon, Alex could not go down one corridor without stopping to talk with someone.

It was Rivet City all over again. Like Megaton.

Like Home.

The word home bled and misted together so much that Alex was not sure where home actually was anymore. She could not figure out if home was in Rivet City, Vault 101 or in the basement of Project Purity or even in Megaton – where she had her own house.

Alex's father was scribbling down notes and instructing others when she approached, yawning loudly to get his attention. Without fail, James jerked his head to the sound of her approach. A free arm slugged around Alex's shoulder and the man reached down to kiss the top of her head.

"Morning sweetie. Sleep well?" A grin tugged at Alex's lips.

"Not really. The kitchen sink was gurgling again," She remarked, sharing in their little inside joke. Her father chuckled and ruffled her hair; dark eyes still glued to his messy scrawl.

"Get your gear. I've got some routine work for you Honey."

"Where?"

"Finally got those control pumps repaired. Need you to go and get them started again."

Alex's brow furrowed gently and she folded her arms; a sure sign of an approaching storm.

"That all? You really need me to do _just_ that?" Her father reached onto a box that Li was carrying when she passed and withdrew three fuses between his fingers then dropped them into Alex's unsuspecting, gloved hands.

"Set these up when you're down there. Fuse box is in a room near the control pumps. Once you're finished, we'll get some breakfast from The Mess." Alex nodded enthusiastically. She liked food. Food was good. Alex turned on her heel and left James to toil away in the obscurity that was Project Purity.

Getting the pumps to work again did not take all that long and repairing the fuse box had been a walk in the part for the girl. Once the mainframe had been successfully activated for the first time in weeks, Alex's father had radioed that there was a blockage in the Intake Pipes. With a flashlight in hand and the light from her Pip-Boy, Alex had jumped head first into the old pipelines. It was the type of challenge Alex lived for; crawling through the dark on her belly while listening to the ramblings of her Pip-Boy as he complained about the smell.

Alex had just finished draining the Pipelines when everything that could have gone wrong went not only wrong, but completely pear shaped. It was the noise Alex heard first in the old, copper tubes before she saw the metal creature drop from the sky with a deafening roar. It was followed by two or three more whirling machines, dropping crates then landing on the platforms of Project Purity. The flying machines put Alex in mind of a dragonfly she had seen in a pre-war nature journal once. It had a fly shaped design with elements of Pre-War helicopters and Tilt-Rotors. Smooth curves and arched glistened against the cold, morning sky. The wings of the creatures whirled, cleaving through the air with an audible whistle. Jade eyes watched as the great doors on the side of the mechanical dragon folded open and more men clad in metal leapt out. Each man was adorned in a skin of glistening steel; seemingly polished to rival the glare of the sun. Alex squinted, unable to see the suits at closer detail. For a second, she was sure that they were the Brotherhood of Steel.

Then the worst came; huge spider-like metal creatures hauling themselves out from crates dropped by the flying Mechs. Even from Alex's hiding hole in the Pipeline, she could clearly make out their shape. They were large, at least the size of a small car and painted a bright silver. They were made up of two large segments; a rounded head and a large pod big enough to fix a person inside. The mechs were Quadrupedal with two small arms at the front; both loaded with enough ammo to choke a Super Behemoth. On top of the head-like section were three large, constantly rotating white eyeballs; reach one darting in a different direction. The soldier's in armoured power suits shouted something to the mechs and the Jumping Spider look-a-likes bounded off; robotic limbs supporting their large bodies with incredible ease.

Alex slunk back against the pipeline, fearing that they had spotted her. She heard her father over the intercom:

"The Enclave? They're here? Madison, lock that door." Alex's gut knotted it several thick ties at the trembling urgency in her father's voice. Alex looked to the left. The Pipe entrance that had been previously locked shut had suddenly unlocked. The brunette shuffled forward and wriggled down the smelly pipeline. The ground beneath Alex's feet disappeared and she fell clumsily down onto wire plating sticking out from the side of the pipeline. Her ankles cracked in protest, muscles and tendons flaring up from the fall. For a few seconds, Alex sat trembling; filling her lungs with as much oxygen as they would allow without popping.

"Lass, get your head in the game and move," ordered her Pip-Boy; his screen flashing the tunnel into a comforting emerald green. Jade eyes narrowed in annoyance. The girl highly doubted that her Pip-Boy would be as eager to continue had he just almost fallen to his death. Using the small amount of area space available, Alex managed to wriggle around so that her back was facing the pitch-black hole. A foot stuck out the edge, searching for another ledge beneath her. The foot was closely followed by a tiny body as Alex lowered downwards using her elbows to keep a hold of the ledge.

Alex had always loved the dark. She had grown up in a Vault after all. But now, as she crawled through the dark and damp tunnels, Alex was beginning to have second thoughts. Her Pip-Boy buzzed away, instructing her to take a left here or a right there. Alex shuffled through the dark tunnel with both hands, teeth clenched around her flashlight. Ahead of the girl, the darkness reeked of lime scale and a slight coppery tinge to it. She took another left and was met with the steel grating of the entrance to the shift pump. If Alex's reckoning of the basement was right, then she would appear in the room that housed the Septic tank. She pushed the steel gate open and light assaulted her eyeballs; spearing right to the back of her eyes and into her Optic nerve.

But it was not just light that awaited Alex.

Before Alex could register what happened, a bullet of bright neon green struck the woman in her stomach. Goo soaked through her overalls, scorching in the skin beneath. Alex let out a squeak and tumbled out of the pipe, falling directing into one of the Septic tanks bellow. The murky, irradiated water did nothing for her wound; increasing the pain tenfold. More shots of green hit the surface of the murky water as Alex floundered through irradiated H2O. Alex had no idea how to swim as the need to learn never arose in Vault 101 so the best she could do was splash. Panic rose to her throat, coupled with the mixture of oxygen deprivation.

Another shot of green hit Alex's back as she hauled her body out of the murky green pool. Her body moved where her mind could not, charging her tiny body forward in a mad rush. She made a dive for cover, skidding into the wall with a sickening crunch. She recovered quickly enough, stumbling through the living quarters. A voice in her head hissed in warning, suggesting that she go back for her equipment but Alex could makes sense of nothing and the thought for returning for her gear just had not occurred to her. She was solely focused of reaching her father that nothing else seemed remotely important to Alex. Not even the dog that scratched at the door of her quarters.

* * *

It was the voice that Alex heard first; slightly southern with a commanding edge mixed into to his voice. Alex stood outside the control room of Project Purity with Madison Li, one hand placed against the glass windows. Locked inside the control room of Project Purity was Alex's father, two of the soldiers she guessed to be the "Enclave" and another man dressed in a tan overcoat. He was the one giving the orders. Her father's face expression twitched several times into expressions Alex had never seen him wear. The girl visibly trembled listening to the demands made by overbearing man and watched her father grow more and more helpless with each passing minute.

"Colonel? Is it Colonel? I'm sorry but the Purifier is non-operational. You're wasting your time here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I am to assume sir that you are the one who is in charge." James stiffened slightly.

"Yes I am." The next words that escaped the Colonels voice, Alex was sure he was wearing a smile.

"Very well."

_Crack._

The sound of bullet against bone was unmistakable. Before Alex could blink, the figure of Janice crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud. Beside the girl, Doctor Li let out a choked sob. Alex threw her a sympathetic glance but Li didn't see. Her eyes were transfixed on the spot where the long time assistant had taken her final breath.

If looks could kill, the Colonel would have been dead several times over.

"I won't ask you again. Hand over control of the Purifier and assist us in getting it operational." Her father ground his teeth together; the scrape audible over the pulsing of the Purifier.

"Fine, just don't hurt anyone else. There is no need for anymore violence." Alex met her father's eyes.

Her gut wretched.

She knew what was to come.

Only more heartache.

James turned away from the eyes of everyone, his eyes spidering across the console at an alarming rate. From Alex's place outside the glass, she could see her father's tremble return in his left hand.

The Colonel tapped his foot irritatingly and Alex pulled a face at his tanned clad back. She decided that she hated him more than anyone else in the world.

"I grow tired of waiting."

"Just a few moments more."

A siren suddenly screeched in warning, followed by a loud, ear-popping explosion. The entire control of Project Purity shook with the aftershock and even the good Colonel stumbled slightly. Alex heard what sounded like gas escaping a broken pipe.

She could only be so lucky.

Seconds later, the two Enclave soldiers fell to the ground; one heavy thump after another. Alex looked towards her father, shocked to find him directly in front of glass panel; one hand pressed against the cold glass in mirror image. His breath escaped against cold glass and his words were crystal clear:

"Run!...run!" It was as though her father took an age to fall, crumpling against the cold glass as he sank to the ground; completely lifeless beside the body of the Enclave Colonel. The girl opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out; no matter how hard she tried. Alex's body acted where her psyche could not. The girl took a step backwards then smashed her shoulder against the glass. Such an unproductive move cost her greatly; shoulder flaring up but the girl didn't feel any pain. Alex stepped back to take another ram at the barrier when suddenly Doctor Li coiled her arm around Alex's chest and hauled her backwards; pulling her away from the glass. Alex flailed against the protective arms of Madison Li. "Dad!" she cried.

"No Alex, there is nothing you can do for him now." The said girl could not believe it. She would not believe it.

_Please lass, just move. Let him go _her Pip-Boy pleaded.

"Dad! Get up!" Alex howled again, pulling against Doctor Li with every ounce of strength her small body possessed. But still Doctor Li hung tight, receiving punches and slaps for her effort. Li made an attempt to jostle Alex towards the door leading to the Museum level.

"Move Alex!" Doctor Li yelled, dark hair a mess. The flailing teenager took one desperate, longing look toward the control room before allowing Doctor Li to shove her through the door.

* * *

Back in the control room of Project Purity, Colonel wished that someone would shut the girl up. He fumbled in his coat pockets; every thought and fibre of his being hating the man known as Doctor James Halsey. Stupid bastard tried to lock the control room and kill them both. A curse not suitable for innocent ears escaped the older man's lips as he pushed the stirring body of James Halsey off his jacket; fingers reaching for the hypodermic in his pocket. A single small syringe was freed from his tan overcoat, the tip of the needle quickly finding flesh to burrow into. The bright orange medicine quickly did its job flawlessly; altered cells quickly eating up the irradiated ones. Colonel Autumn rolled up the sleeve of James Halsey and managed to inject him as well before his strength escaped. "You are not getting away that easily," Autumn ground out through clenched teeth, mind reeling and spinning like a dangling yoyo.

Colonel Autumn was not sure how long he was lying in the control room of Project Purity; dancing on the fine line of consciousness before help eventually arrived. A Spider-like Mech known as a "_Tachikoma_" bounded up the stairs all with the grace of an antelope. For such a large object to get up those small stairs was a feat Colonel Autumn would have applauded had he not been dying in an irradiated room. The _Tachikoma_ bounced outside the glass; small arms flailing upwards in panic. Three Enclave officers joined it the robot. Autumn knew who they were straight away; the brilliant Lieutenant Garoph, the steadfast Major Smith and feisty Captain Lynns whom Autumn liked the most. Colonel Autumn had the uncanny ability to tell each of his officers apart; even while they were adorned in Power Suit armour.

"Sir! Are you alright?" It remarked in a sweet, childlike voice. Colonel Autumn would have scowled if he had the energy.

"Just..Get..This door open," he ground out through clenched teeth. The machine raised one arm upwards; extending small robotical fingers. This was the closest a _Tachikoma_ unit could manage to a salute.

"Aye aye sir." It answered. A great screech assaulted the Colonel's eardrums as the robot dug its mechanical fingers into the steel of the door as if it were butter. Robotical limbs trembled as it heaved the door open; fighting against the hydraulics of the bulkhead. With one more crashing screech of protesting metal, the _Tachikoma_ hauled the door up with a final push. Radiation flooded out of the bottleneck, right into the Rotunda. "Please hurry sir" the bot stated; arms wavering at the weight of the door. The soldiers acted as expected of them; filing in, grasping the two men that were still alive then dragging them out again. The soldiers stepped backwards, a drooping Colonel Autumn and James Halsey sandwiched between them, and the _Tachikoma_ unit released the door. Gravity slammed the door down with a sickening crunch; sealing off the radiation. "Get a medic in here and make sure –"

And Colonel Autumn fell unconscious.

* * *

Dogmeat knew from the moment he heard the thunder inside the den that danger was approaching. He leapt off the squishy sleeping slab to scratch at the sort of hard, shiny blockage. Dogmeat hoped that his packmate would return for him, like she did every night. Usually, when he scratched the shiny stone, another tailless would come and let him out. Dogmeat didn't like the other tailless ones. They were a threat to his packmate; particularly a bigger male that smelt bad and wore a blue, furless skin similar to his packmate.

The metal blockage suddenly hissed like a snake and sprung upwards. Dogmeat's ears perked upwards; the scream of an unnatural, metallic demon flooded into his eardrums. He raised a snout to the air and sniffed; searching for the unique tang that was the scent of his sister. He caught a whiff from the left and darted forward, past the place where many tailless rested and up two levels. A large wooden door blocked his way but Dogmeat knew better. He jumped up; paws braced against the door. Dogmeat scrabbled around a bit before one paw eventually hooked on the opener. The door fell forward and Dogmeat found himself on the level where the furless piled large amounts of paper around themselves then complained about it. Dogmeat figured that it was a type of competition; the furless competing piles against one another to see who could complain the loudest.

He had just rounded a corner when two shiny giants ambushed him. They were both demons; clad in a moon skin that shone so brightly that the stars themselves would envious. Steam rose from the snout of the creatures in misty puffs. Topaz stones gleamed where their eyeballs should have been. They both carried fancy, metal broomsticks that glowed green like fireflies. Dogmeat leapt backwards, growling loudly. He heard them talk amongst one another but could not make sense of what they said.

"What do you think we should do with it?" One demon hissed

"Lock it in that storage room. I'll take it back once we're finished here. My daughter wanted a dog." Before Dogmeat could react, one of metal men had shouldered his glowing stick and picked up him up. Dogmeat squirmed for all he was worth against the shiny man but the demon held tight. Dogmeat felt the demon stroll to the left, wrench a door open then proceed to drop him into the darkness. The husky let out a loud howl for his packmate, hoping she would come from him and drive away the demons with her snarls and snaps.

But she didn't and Dogmeat was left alone in the storage cupboard of Project Purity.

* * *

Underneath the feet of the soldiers, Alex prised the Plasma Rifle out of the dead fingers of an Enclave solider and checked the pack he carried. She found several Stimpaks, about forty small microfusion cells and few shots of Med-X. The girl slipped them into her back pocket and slid one of the small, circular cells into the power distribution chamber. She rounded onto what survivors had managed to make it to the tunnel; Doctor Li, the other Alex, Garza, a few mechanics, Janice's little girl Amy and much to Alex's dismay, Daniel.

"That everyone?" Doctor Li looked disheartened at the very thought as she plotted the escape route into Alex's Pip-Boy. A large, green target marker blinked onto her combat Hub.

"I assume so. Everyone else is probably..." The doctor could not bring herself to finish the sentence. Alex could not finish it either.

Her mind had blanked out the incident and she was running on the fuel of survival only. She could grieve later.

Grief gets you killed. Anger keeps you fighting. United Earth Federal Navy

Alex knew that rule well.

"Let's go." Alex flicked the LCD light on her Pip-Boy onto full beam and gestured the survivors forward with a wave of her plasma rifle. Even with the combined light of her Pip-Boy and torch, the sewers were very dark and dimly lit. Only about fifty or so yards ahead and they met a very horrific sight indeed. So much that Alex would have been sick had anything been in her stomach. Dried blood crusted on the ground while wet blood and internal organs were splattered all over the ground. Skeletons haunted every dark corner and crevice and barrels upon barrels of toxic waste were high on each other; cutting off paths and creating dead ends. The survivors dithered fearfully at the mouth of the tunnel, unwilling to stay but unable to stay. Alex stepped over the carcasses and signalled for others to do the same. Doctor Li clutched Amy in her arms; covering the young girls eyes as she stepped over the bodies.

The survivors followed Alex west down a ramp, putting their hope for survival in her usually capable hands. But Alex was functioning on auto-pilot only. When Doctor Li freed one arm and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, she barely noticed. They headed straight through a small corridor, following the pipelines overhead. Everything leaked, a droplet of water failing every half a second. The group ground to a halt when Alex suddenly stopped. She signalled for them to wait before she poked the nose her gun into the empty generator room. When nothing mauled or fired at her, Alex ushered the group forward.

"Mind your head," Alex warned, speaking only when required or when spoken to. They took a left, heading southeast through an entanglement of pipes and copper tubes that lead straight past an old reactor room. _Lass, heads up. I be picking up three bogeys from inside the room warned_ her Pip-Boy. Alex let out a short curse.

_Can we slip past?_

_Nah, they would probably force us into a bottleneck. We can't fight them and hack the console at the same time._

Alex clutched her Plasma rifle close and turned to Li. Amy was now in the protective arms of the other Alex.

"Li, we've got hostiles in the next room. Can you get that door open?" Alex asked, nodding towards sealed bulkhead directly in front of them.

Li nodded. "I can get it open but I will need some time." The girl checked her Plasma rifle and turned to the rest of the group.

"Run."

They stood, blinking stupidly like cows on their way to the slaughter house. Alex waved her rifle slightly, hoping to rouse them.

"Move!" The sudden volume of her voice seemed to drive home for they suddenly moved at a rate of knots towards the steel bulkhead. The hostiles on Alex's digital Hub suddenly sprung to life, moving towards their position. The group huddled against the steel bulkhead while Li worked rapidly at the flat panel monitor. Alex crouched in the archway of the room that connected with corridors they were huddled in; using the corridor to take cover. Two Enclave soldiers clad in power armour were in front of her, the third wearing a tanned uniform was on a walkway. The soldiers spat plasma at the girl, scorching through her clothes onto her skin. Alex barely felt it. Sorrow, grief and adrenaline had become her painkiller. Alex flicked into V.A.T.S for the first time in almost three months. She felt reunited with an old friend. Her Pip-Boy chalked up several strategic and highly successful hits for her and one Enclave officer fell dead in a frizzle of plasma. The second faltered for a moment; stunned at how quickly Alex had turned the tides against them. His weakness became her strength and, in a flurry and splatter of bright green, he lay dead at her feet.

Alex had rounded onto the third when she heard a scream. Glancing back at a rather petrified private wielding a sort of laser pistol, Alex concluded that he was of little threat to her.

"Get out of here. Let your commander know who did this." The Enclave officer let out a squeak that sounded like a molerat being stepped on, dropped his pistol and ran right past the female; tail set firmly between his legs. Alex bounded out of the room as another scream attacked her eardrums. Right through two piles of rubble was the group, covering away from another human. No, as Alex got closer, she found it was not human at all. The creature was thin and scrawny with fleshy coloured skin stretched to the breaking point; like the thin rubber of a balloon stretched over a skeleton. When Alex approached, plasma at the ready, it turned to face her. It had no eyes, only shiny, moon-like orbs; so intense and silver that they were almost beautiful. The creature hissed, showing off rows of slightly chipped, humanoid based teeth.

The creature charged.

Alex fired.

One fell dead.

Alex lowered her rifle and approached the group; visibly checking for any obvious wounds. She opened her mouth to say something to Doctor Li when Amy suddenly screamed again. Alex turned and met the clawed hand of another living skeleton. Blood blinded her vision and she felt an immeasurable amount of pain in her left eye. She let out a yelp and stumbled backwards, dropping her Plasma rifle. The group scurried out of the way as the creature backed Alex up; hissing and spitting all the while. Alex pressed one hand over her bloody eye but could do little else. She had completely frozen up with shock. Her Pip-Boy screeched wildly but she could not hear him. After countless raider and mutant battles, Alex was about to be bested by a sort of deranged human. The creature raised a hand again, ready to finish the job. Alex took in what she expected was her final breath before the fleshy skeleton suddenly exploded all over her. A bloodied stump was all that remained of the head; the rest of the head painting the walls, ground and Alex herself. Alex was stunned. The body of the creature crumpled to the ground like a puppet without strings. Doctor Li stood in front of Alex, hands gripping the Plasma rifle. Alex opened her mouth to speak, only to have blood fall on parted lips.

Li dropped down to her knees, grasping Alex's head in her hand. Alex let out a soft moan as Li probed the wound gently; lifting Alex's swollen eyelid.

"You're a lucky girl. The eye is intact, you'll just have a nasty scar," the woman remarked, unclipping the small med-pack from under her labcoat.

"Wow Li, where did you learn to shoot like that?" Alex croaked as Li injected a Stimpak directly into the damaged flesh. Somehow, Doctor Li managed to ignore Alex's stare. It was several moments before Li managed to answer.

"Your father taught me and your mother if I recall," Li finally answered, her frown just as heavy as her heart.

Nothing more was said on the matter.

While James Halsey may have died in the control room of Project Purity, Alexandra Halsey died in her heart.

* * *

"You sure the outpost is through here?"

"I am positive. Just hit the switch and the door should open." Alex kicked aside a skeleton and checked her Plasma rifle with cool indifference. Only twenty shots left. The girl turned to the rest of the group. They were clustered together in a tight little pack; shivering and tired but thankfully alive.

"Is Garza holding up?"

Doctor Li nodded. "Thanks to you. He'll be fine once we get to the Citadel." Alex flipped the flap that exposed a large, red button. She pressed it without answering Doctor Li and the door suddenly sprung to life. The group sighed collectively in relief as they walked up a small hill and saw three or four Brotherhood of Steel soldiers armed to the teeth with weapons. Unlike the rest, Alex felt even more on edge than before. The distraction of herding people through the tunnels had kept her mind off the sensitive issue of Project Purity.

A familiar snarl echoed behind Alex. Doctor Li filed the survivors into the protective bottleneck of the Brotherhood of Steel outpost. Several seconds later, an army of ghouls ran towards the survivors from every nook and cranny. Alex was ready for them. She pivoted on her heel, rifle at the ready. "Back off civilian, this is our fight!" ordered a Brotherhood Knight, shifting into position. Alex looked down. Clutched in his large, metal clad hands was a fully loaded flame thrower. She bowed her head and retreated past the Knight to a safe distance. Another Knight joined them, a Mini-gun loaded in his hand. Alex watched from her position. The ghouls flocked in like a swarm of angry hornets; their hisses an audible buzz. The Brotherhood of Steel stood ready.

Fire burst from the nozzle of the flame thrower like a sort of miniature dragon; melting the skin right off the bones of the offending ghouls. A salty but sweet pang invaded Alex's nostrils and she could only assume that she smelt burning flesh. Oddly enough, it had a similar scent to sizzling pork. And the screams. If they were even screams. Alex felt the screech of the creatures through her spine but not conjure up any sympathy for them. The scar vertically across her left eye still throbbed painfully and every now and then, her vision would waver somewhat.

Alex turned away from the screams, now coupled with the whirl of a Mini-Gun, and headed up towards the rest of the group. Doctor Li prised open a hatch that led to the surface. Alex was the last to go up. She was afraid of what was to come. Without her father, Alex felt adrift; like a log on the endless river that was life.

And like a log, she was alone.

The ruined building of the former Pentagon was what awaited Alex's green eyed vision. The Citadel was enclosed with metal like a stockade. Large piles of high rock and rubble provided three sides of protection while the river provided the fourth. It was like a wasps nest; heavily armed and guarded from every corner. Brotherhood of Steel soldiers patrolled the perimeter along the top; each soldier armed with a Laser Rifle or a Mini-Gun. Hundreds of cranes, dozens of gun turrets and endless amounts of scaffolding lined the top walkway. Rusted beams supported parts of the building that were itching to collapse. Cables hung down from every direction. Scrap metal and broken equipment was piled high. Bots and Knights patrolled the main entrance that Doctor Li stalked towards; her dark hair a mess and oddly menacing.

"I am Doctor Madison Li. I have people here in need of shelter. You must allow us access." Alex heard as she approached with the rest of the sheepish group. Little Amy yawned in the arms of the other Alex and slumped against his shoulder.

The soldier to the left frowned at Doctor Li like she had just cracked a crude joke. "I am sorry but no civilians allowed in the Citadel. You're going to have to leave," he said shortly. Doctor Li let out a growl in frustration and showed him aside to speak into the intercom. It was an angle to Li that none of them had seen before. Alex and Soldiers alike were stunned.

"Lyons! I know you're in there! I know you can hear me! You open this god damned door right now!" Doctor Li all but scream into the intercom.

The Pip-Boy on Alex's wrist flashed orange. _She's got a voice like a foghorn._ Alex nodded in agreement, completely stunned at the apparent screaming seemed to help. The main gate let out a hard groan before it suddenly jutted upwards with a shower of golden sparks. As soon as the gate had lifted, Doctor Li marched forward like a woman on a mission. Alex and the rest of the group followed her, feeling somewhat out of place. Painted directly above a set of double doors was a blue insignia of a winged sword and three, large gears. It was the same logo Alex had seen slapped on the side of power armour and on white banners all over the capital.

The inside of the Citadel was just as busy as the outside. The courtyard was huge, spanning at least a mile or two from side to side. Troops bustled left, right and center; preoccupied with their own tasks to notice the strangers. Alex had never seen so many people all in one place before. The population was three times as big as Megaton and least double of Rivet City. Everything seemed out of order but, somehow, organised. A few feet away from where she stood was the scrap of a what looked like a very rusted dragonfly and the remains of the spider-like Mech she had seen earlier. She wondered what it was made of, what power supply it used, what its maximum speed was and so much more...

Alex had been so wrapped up in analgising the remains of Mech that she had not noticed a elderly man walk up to them and begin speaking to Doctor Li. Not that Alex was listening. No, the teenager was too busy wallowing in self-pity and sorrow. Grief had become an addictive drug to the girl. Her father had died within Project Purity, as did her mother. And for what exactly? As far as Alex was concerned, that damned Project had stolen her family away. There was really no one left in the wasteland that Alex could truly trust and depend on.

Or so she thought.

She could not have been any more wrong.

The conversation around her suddenly went quiet and Alex looked up curiously. The elderly man was looking directing at her. He had a kind face, was adorned in a navy blue kind of robe and carried a Plasma pistol. He cleared his throat gently.

"Now, this is James's Daughter I presume. I can see the resemblance."

Doctor Li nudge Alex forward so the elder could get a better look at her. "Yes, this is Alex." The girl nodded her head, unwillingly to say more.

"She's a quiet one isn't she?"

Doctor let out a small laugh but there was sorrow in her next words. "Usually, she's louder than this. But as you can imagine..." Li trailed off and Alex felt somewhat annoyed. They were speaking as if she was not there. "We got everything back up and running but we still need a G.E.C.K. We were hoping you could help us find one," Doctor Li stated, looking squarely at Elder Lyons.

The older man nodded and turned his attention back to Alex."I assume you will be assisting us? If you are, we can get a bunk set up for you and – "

"No."

Several sets of eyes were suddenly riveted to Alex.

"Alex?"

The girl stood her ground.

"No, I won't. I'm done with Project Purity." Doctor Li was flabbergasted.

"Alex! You must, your father –"Alex cut her off with a glare and a few choice words.

"This Project Purity took my mum. Now its taken my dad. It won't get me," she stated firmly, possibly making the worst decision in the history of the universe. Mumbling broke out amongst the group; oddly sounding like the hum of Project Purity.

Elder Lyons grew very grim indeed but he did not seem angry.

"Is that your decision Alex? You really wish to walk away from your father's work, leave it to the Enclave?"

Alex stiffened slightly, not fully comprehending what was being asked of her. Still, she answered. "Yes."

"Very well, If you wish to leave, I will not stop you. While I may not agree with your decision, I shall respect it. Should you ever have a change of heart, we will be here waiting for you."

"Lyons! You're not going to just let her walk away are you? Project Purity needs her!" Came Doctor Li's claim.

Elder Lyons raised a hand to silence her protest.

"What she needs, Madison, is time to heal." Alex turned to leave but the older woman caught her by the arm. The small girl simply stared back, not saying anything. In jade orbs, Madison Li did not see the skilled fighter that had wrestled with Super Mutants and chased down Raiders. Madison Li saw a mourning, teenage girl.

Alex's arm slipped from Li's grasp and the girl walked away, not bothering to look back. Doctor Li watched her go with thin lips. She now knew the truth of the situation and the impact rocked her.

Alexandra Halsey had died in Project Purity as well.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **20:32**  
Current Date**: 06/11/2277  
**Current Location**: "Megaton"

"Alex? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Came the stone cold reply of Alex.

"You don't sound okay. You sound even worse than when you arrived two weeks ago."

"Sorry, I'll try harder next time."

"Forget it." Gob turned away from Alex to hide his displeasure. The way she was behaving was starting to get on his very last nerve. It was disheartening, to say the least, to see the most fierce and energetic person in the Wasteland walk around with that painful air of defeat. Gob could see it. Nova could see it. Even Moriarty, the man who had given Alex a job to begin with, had made a comment or two about her attitude. Or rather lack of.

The ghoul bartender dipped down behind the counter to pack away a shipment of Scotch. Alex dried off a glass with a filthy rag, wearing an equally dirty scowl.

"You know Gob, I'm half surprised Moriarty didn't try and whore me out or something." Gob smiled slightly. Fifteen words in a sentence. It was a new record for Alex.

Not that he was counting.

Gob plucked the glass from Alex's fingers and slid it home beneath the counter. Moriarty's Saloon was deadly quiet for a Saturday night. Alex chalked it down to the frightful weather; blizzard condition winds outside the saloon were cold enough to freeze blood in veins.

"You're James's kid. Probably has something to do with it," Gob croaked out, pouring out a shot of whiskey for a Megaton Settler. Alex's scowl deepened; a distant sadness lingering in jade colour orbs. A scowl was Alex seemed to wear for almost two weeks in a row. She ate very little but just enough to keep her going. What little money she earned from tavern work went into a locked safe under her bed. Every now and then, she bought some fusion cells for her Plasma Rifle. Alex carried the rifle around for more looks than functionality. The cells were hard to come by but it tended to keep customers in line. Everyone knew that you could only get Plasma Rifles from Enclave soldier.

Apart from the overalls over a t-shirt, Alex owned nothing else. She had nothing else. All her tools, equipment and even her Dog had been left in Project Purity. Alex was not even sure if the husky pup was still alive. She missed him greatly. After a few minutes of self-pity, her heart finally went numb and her mind went completely blank. There was an advantage to not feeling or thinking… it actually allowed her to rest from her inner torment. She went back to scrubbing the countertop as fiercely as she would to her memories.

_You have to let it go lass, It's been two weeks already, _Alex's Pip-Boy invaded her mind so quickly that she had not felt his icy presence in her skull.

_You keep saying that and I keep ignoring you, _the girl countered back.

The Pip-Boy buzzed away, clearly disgruntled.

_I be only looking out for yeh best interests. Maybe you should do the same instead of moping around serving ale._

_My father is dead! Not my cat! It's going to take a while to recover._

_You're not even willing tae try!_

_That's complete bullshit. I am!_

_Fifteen word sentences? Barely speaking? Working in a bar. That's not Alex Halsey and this is not what your father would have wanted for you _

And the voice of her Pip-Boy went quiet. Alex pulled a face. She was ignoring him more and more lately. It worked to an amazing degree; he would suggest something and she would either snub him off or ignore him completely. Eventually, he just stopped talking altogether and hid in his cache. They went hours without speaking. Her Pip-Boy did not know what to say and Alex did not know how to answer.

It was circular logic.

The door to the Saloon opened suddenly, bringing with it a flurry of snow. Alex did not look up and continued scrubbing the countertop. Beside Alex, Gob's body language suddenly tensed and he stepped backwards; all but retreating from the bar. The girl looked up to question the ghoul, only for her enquiry to die in her throat.

Mister Burke was standing staring at her; hands stuffed into the pockets of the black overcoat he wore. A touch of snow had collected on the rim of hat and a few flakes dusted his shoulders. Alex opened her mouth several times, only succeeding in making herself look like a gapping goldfish. Burke grinned at her apparent reaction and slid onto the barstool opposite her. Alex looked to her left, only to find Gob had disappeared to the back store to check the stock.

How convenient.

Alex took in a gulp of air and turned her attention back to the gentleman. The mere sight of him sitting in front of her twanged her strings.

"You've got some nerve to show your face back here," Alex scathed, saying more words in one sentence to him than she had said in a week. Gob looked over from the stock, hardly able to believe it. She was actually showing emotion again. To the man did nothing piss her off and rattle her nerves.

What exactly did he possess that no one else seemed to?

Burke shot the girl a smouldering smile; the heat and need in his eyes evident. Alex suddenly felt as if she were naked. She might have well have been from the way Burke was staring at her.

"Is that how you treat all your customers?" he mocked, shaded blue eyes twinkling.

"So, what can I get you?" She ground out. Burke arched and eyebrow and knitted his fingers together on the countertop.

"Scotch. On the rocks if you please," he responded, his deep voice wickedly silky. Alex reached one hand under the counter. She brought out a tub of the good ice, chipped a few pieces into the glass before returning the Ice block to the small freezer beneath the counter. The girl looked straight at him as she poured the clear liquid into the glass tumbler. His heavy gaze unnerved her slightly but Alex managed to fight back her apprehension. He was stirring her emotions again; creating cracks of the isolation barrier that Alex did not know she had even created.

Alex slid the glass towards him and then Burke did the unthinkable. His hand darted straight out like snake to take the glass but he did not stop there. Rough fingers glided over Alex's knuckles and neither could suppress a shiver. The teenager sucked in a gulp of air and fixed her features into an unimpressed frown as she pulled back. Her hand continued to tingle in the aftermath.

"What are you doing here? Thought you had given up me or something, rather let someone else have me while you toil away in obscurity doing god only knows what" Burke wiped the rim of the glass with his thumb before answering.

Alex felt personally insulted.

"I was completing some very important work for Mister Tenpenny. As for another man to have you, I must admit, I'm rather _possessive_ my dear," Burke said, tipping his hat upwards in an almost charming manner. Burke was a danger to any female under the age of thirty and he knew it.

Alex was not unimpressed.

"Possessive? You're just downright creepy Burke." Burke's lips twisted into his infamous, gut clenching grin. He slid the empty tumbler forward and nodded towards the glass; silently asking for a refill.

"I try my best."

"You're a dickhead. You know that right?"Alex hissed and she slammed the Scotch bottle against the countertop with a heavy thump. It was an act of rudeness that she found extremely satisfying.

The gentleman let out a cough. "I advise you to curb that language of yours," he warned, eyeing her intently. He did not sound the least bit threatening.

"So, this is what you have been reduced to? A bad-tempered bar wench. And I thought you had more class than that." Burke asked; satire slavered upon his tone. He could not resist provoking her, even now.

And, as he expected, she acted accordingly.

Alex coiled back like a snake ready to strike. "Well you thought wrong then" Alex snarled, not caring if "hostility" against the costumers was frowned upon. They were silent for several minutes: Burke allowing time for Alex to cool down. The man took another sip of his drink; warming the liquid in his mouth before swallowing.

"A woman like you should not be destined to swallow in self-pity in this saloon for the rest of your life."

Alex flinched at the words "Bar wench".

"Look, the whole reason I am out here is dead. So what do you suggest this 'bar wench' do?" Burke hated the way she looked when those words escaped her lips; broken, fragile and without purpose or meaning. He took a deep breath and applied his best and comforting smile. Though it would do him little favour when dealing with Alex.

"Come with me to Tenpenny Tower. We could make use of your..." he trailed off, looking for the right word "talents and you will be well paid. Mister Tenpenny is in need of another technician and I think you would be _just_ the right person for the job"

Alex quirked her head to the side, lips pursed."Thought...thought your boss would be pissed at me. I did disarm that bomb." Burke's face twitched slightly in remembrance.

"What Mister Tenpenny does not know can't hurt, now can it?" he stated. Alex looked down at the counter, staring at the grooves on the worktop. "So my dear, what do you say?" Alex could not stand the way he sounded; so sure of complete victory. She was tempted to refuse his offer, just to spite him. _The look on his face would be priceless _Alex thought with a grin. For Alex, anything to inconvenience Burke was worth doing. But the thought of a real job with real pay dissolved her acid insults before she vomited them up. Alex straightened slightly and let her stare clash with his once again.

"What's the pay like?"

"How much do you receive here? Per day?"

"About twenty caps. Don't ask how much that is a week because I don't know my times tables very well."

Burke could not help but laugh, leaning out of Alex's hitting radius. "One forty is what you get here a week. I can triple that."

Alex let out a low whistle. Four hundred and twenty caps a week. Gob barely made that in a year.

"Alright Burke, you've got a deal"

Burke stared. He had been expecting her to shoot him down with a snarl. Then a broad smile broke out across his face; startlingly white teeth gleaming in the dull light of Moriarty's saloon.

"Excellent...Excellent!" Burke exclaimed, looking as though Christmas had come early.

"Don't get too excited. I'll need to tell Moriarty that I'm leaving."

"Think he'll let you leave?" The girl let a small, but real smile grace her lips.

"He'll have to; he's got nothing on me." Alex gestured a thumb towards the stocktaking Ghoul "unlike Gob here." Burke followed her thumb and his nose wrinkled with obvious distaste. No matter, Ghouls would all be history very shortly. The man turned his attention back to the matter at hand; getting Alex out of Megaton and into Tenpenny Tower as quickly as possible.

"Where will Mister Moriarty be at this time?"

"In the back room. Hang on a second." With that, Alex turned from the man and left the bar counter. Gob returned to man the helm but Burke barely noticed. He was watching Alex go, unable to deny himself the privilege of watching her tiny hips roll as she walked – or rather stalked - off with a renewed vigour to her step. Lips quirked upwards into a grin. That was the Alex he remembered and loved; arrogant and confident. He had missed her greatly while he had been away.

Now that she was with him again, he would never let her out of his sight.

Quarter of an hour later, Alex returned; small hands clutched around a little sack. The faint jingle it released was familiar to Burke's ears.

"Really Colin, I appreciate what you've done for me, giving me this job till I got back on my feet." The saloon owner followed Alex out into the bar.

"No worries sweet lass. It was the least I could do. I am sorry about what happened to yeh father, James was a fine man." Burke was left wondering what exactly had he missed in Alex's life. He judged, from the look on Alex's face, that it could not have been anything remotely pleasant. That cloud that hung over her when he arrived –and that he had managed to dispel – had returned with a vengeance.

"Well, thanks. Least I'll have a job I'm actually suited for."

"And I won't have to pay yeh anymore so we both win," The Irishman remarked, ruffling Alex's hair gently. She pushed him off with a half-hearted scowl and waved goodbye to Gob; who looked as if Moriarty had just shot his dog. One could hardly blame him. It was no secret that Gob found companionship in Nova and Alex alone. It was a fate worse than death to be a ghoul.

"Well, see you later." Alex slugged on her denim jacket over faded blue Robotec overalls.

Burke eyed her outfit with obvious distaste. "Is that all you're wearing?" Alex frowned deeply as she pushed open the door to Megaton. She was hit face first by snow and wind. Blinking snow out of her eyes, Alex blew out; looking distinctly ruffled. Burke seemed to think it was funny and he was right. The expression on Alex's face was purely comical. Alex began to shiver uncontrollably as they stepped down the ramp; heading towards the metal gates of Megaton. Burke, taking a gigantic leap of faith worthy of song, reached around the girl and coiled his arm around her shoulder.

Megaton had cooled down considerably to a point where the water around the Atomic Bomb had begun to freeze over; crusting at the edge of metal in sharp, yellowed spikes. The air itself developed a taste for flesh; furiously nipping at the exposed skin of the residents. Very few residents were out, most hiding indoors beside heaters and slipping on warm Brahmin milk. Under Burke's arm, Alex shivered in her overalls; that sounded like a good plan to her.

The pair were up the slope and out the gates against before Alex shattered the silence.

"Where are we going? It's too cold to travel now," Alex stated.

"Patience my dear. I shall show you in a minute." He then stopped after a few minutes, let go of Alex and suddenly disappeared behind a large rock face. Alex stood; shivering and staring for several moments. A second or so later and a sudden mechanical roar ruptured the silence, causing to Alex to jump a foot in the air. The growling continued then Burke popped his head up from behind the rock face. "Can you make it over?" Alex nodded and took a few steps towards the crevice. Burke reached up and laced his fingers through Alex's and helped her down. Hidden behind rock was a sort of land vehicle. Stamped on the front were the words "Toyota" in faded black lettering. The main body of the motor vehicle was painted dull sand yellow and covered in bullet holes at both sides. It was full bodied with four large, tough tires that could crush the skull of a super mutant with ease. Bull bars were attached to the front; perfect for ploughing through raider infested pits and two large halogen lights were planted just above the bull bars.

Alex could only assume it was a car. But not those horrible, three wheeled things. The jeep that stood before the pair was a sort of military vehicle. It was a fantastic piece of machinery and Alex rushed past Burke to get a better look.

"W-where did you get this? where did this come from? How did you get it run?" Burke joined Alex and ran a hand over the hood fondly; smiling as gently he would to her

"Did you think that I would hike across the Wastes on foot?" he replied, a touch of pride in his voice. He walked around the passenger side and opened the battered door for his female companion.

"After you Madame," he remarked in a silky, silver tone. A smile tugged at Alex's lips and she clambered in. The land cruiser was much more comfortable than it let on. Burke got in the driver's side and killed the engine for a moment or two. His female companion looked as if she wanted to say something.

And sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed.

Although it was completely the wrong place and time, Alex let loose the question that had been swimming about her head.

"I know I've probably asked this already but why did you care so much?" A flicker of something hot sparked in Burke's shaded eyes and he answered without fear nor hesitation.

"Because I love you." Alex froze up.

"No, you just think you love me." Burke's facial features clouded into a darkened frown.

"You will find that I do."

"Don't confuse love with lust."

"My dear girl, I am at least ten years your senior, I know the difference."

"I thought you said you were going to leave me alone, said you were too caught up." Burke did not falter in the slightest.

So she was trying to poke a confession out of him. Very well. Burke decided that if she wanted brutal honesty, even now, then she would get it.

"I did but I could not stop thinking of you. You have become an obsession that I simply cannot do without. And although you must be the most irritable, bad tempered and spoilt woman in existence, you are the most passionate person I have ever met."

Suddenly, the jeep did not feel all that cold. Before Alex's mind could halt her body's actions, the girl leaned forward. Burke met her halfway, braced one hand on the base of her neck then kissed Alex with as much passion and heat as he could muster on a cold winter's night. Alex all but melted in the chair; feeling the warmth spread of his body onto hers. Alex tasted just as he had imagined; like warmed whiskey. It was an interesting, but good change. Burke was a powerful man and had plenty of women in his arms before; most much more beautiful than Alex. But the Vault dweller had that scruffy, innocent little allure that just drove him wild. Burke had no objects when Alex grabbed him by his suit jacket and jerked him forward; becoming more and more heated with each passing second. Burke would have chuckled had his mouth not been otherwise engaged. He did so enjoy an assertive woman.

Sooner they got back to Tenpenny Tower, the better.

"Wow," was all Alex could muster, breaking the intense kiss. Burke smirked and thumbed the scar running over her left eye.

"'Wow' indeed my love" And Burke leaned forward and kissed her warm lips once more.

* * *

**It's taken like 57,000+ words before Burke eventually gets a kiss from Alex. It would probably be like 100000+ words before he got lucky.**

**I've got some real explaining to do haven't I? Well, let's begin.**_**..**_

**1. Time stamps. I figured this would be able to help keep the story flowing and make it easier to follow. I'm going to go back and put them**

**2. _Tachikomas_. Copy right of I.G production. If I haven't managed to describe them clearly enough, Google them. They are the shiz. These were added purely on a whim. Me and my brother (The Sixth) were watching the Ghost In The Shell, Stand Alone Complex and then he turned around and said: "Wouldn't it be awesome if Tachikomas were in Fallout?" And the more I thought about it, the more I tended to agree. I really liked the whole spider design and figured they would fit in great with the Enclave. After all, they have advanced weaponry, force field shielding and equipment. So why not add the bots? P**

**3. Weather and Seasons. One thing that tends to irk me is the fact that Fallout acts like the world has stopped turning. The way I see it, seasons and weather should have still continued. I've included them but made them more brutal; uber hot summers and deathly cold winters.**

**4. Project Purity. I made it bigger, better and more active; more people etc. But I also made it longer to get set up. Abandoned for 20 years? Up and running within an hour? I don't think so. **

**5. Gave Dogmeat his own paragraph. He will rejoin Alex so don't worry. I wanted him to seem more like an actual character, rather than just a dog or something.**

**6. Burke has a jeep. Yes, strange I know but I always wondered how Burke got from A to B so quickly. And yup, I'm aware that Toyota's were not around then but I thought, hey what the hell. And he hardly seems like the type who would hike. I will explain how it runs in the next chapter (The Sixth has managed to suggest how much a jeep would run without gasoline or something. He's clever like that) so all will be revealed.**

And there is a few other little surprises, can you find them? ;)


	7. Chapter Seven: You Can't Go Home Again

**Just a filler chapter here, mostly of the "Trouble On The Homefront" quest. I had to do a lot of skipping because I wanted this chapter to be just a small one so I missed out a lot. Hopefully it didn't turn out too bad. I've attempted to tweak some of the dialogue or so a bit. I'll post it tonight and fine comb it tomorrow. **

**I've been doing some edits of the earlier chapters, mostly of dialogue only (But they are not up yet) Big thanks to Enefet for the help and pointing out some stuff that I went back and changed :D I've attempted to clear up the issue of Burke's jeep and how it manages to run. I hope I've done a decent enough job but I know very little of cars and mechanics in general D: **

**Special thank you to Mr Wang 330 for letting me borrow his character Jason Lee for a little cameo :D **

**Massive thank you to all who reviewed: Shinsou808, netbreaker0, MysticGohan88, dumbrat, Mr Wang 330, Kanianreborn, Melira, NateToTheMax, Enefet, TropicR and Five. You guys are just great!**

**Please, once you're finished here, go and have a read of a few other awesome Fallout fanfictions.  
"Fallout: Red Sun" by Shinsou808, "Diamonds and Rust" by Agent Hellgirl, "Fallout 3: The Avenger" by Mr Wang 330, "The Ghoul, The Bad and The Ugly" by InRodWeTrust, "Excavation" by Kosmokomik and "The Lone Wanderer" by LovelyxxMelody! Heres to them!**

* * *

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"****You can travel the world  
But you can't run away  
From the person you are in your heart  
You can be who you want to be  
Make us believe in you  
Keep all your light in the dark**.**"  
-DJ Tiesto, Just Be**

**Chapter Seven: **You Can't Go Home Again

* * *

Dogmeat raised his snout to the air and inhaled deeply; searching desperately for the sweaty tang of his packmate. The Wasteland that he traversed was lifeless and without movement. Fierce Deathclaws were in hibernation, Radscorpions were deep underground and even other furless seemed to be keeping to the sanctity of warmth. Dogmeat shook himself soundly; attempting to dislodge a cover of ice and snow from his coat. His fur was rimmed with frost; causing it to be sharp and bristly. His panting froze in the air; sprouting in thick gasps of silvery vapour.

The track was lost to him now. A covering of snow and ice made it impossible to distinguish scents and changed the landscape.

He had escaped the metal men almost fourteen sunsets ago. He was not sure how he managed it. He could remember being locked in that dark place but anything after that was nothing more than a blur. Dogmeat had awoken to find himself alone and far from any sort of township or village. From the moment his trembling legs could hold his body, Dogmeat had been fruitlessly searching for his packmate. Had it been summer instead of winter, Dogmeat would have had little problem tracking down his sister. But winter had come and made everything look and smell different.

A sad, longing of a howl escaped Dogmeat's jaws. He just wanted to find his sister and elder and return home, wherever that may be. He was terribly footsore. There was little spring or bounce to his step. His feet fell heavily on the winding, twisted trail he took. He was hungry, and even though he had been a scavenger all his life, Dogmeat was hard pressed to find food.

Above all his discomforts, one alone stood out among the rest.

His itching neck. Since he had awoken, the little gnawing in the base of his furry neck had caused him no end of bother. It disturbed him in his sleep and bothered him when he hiked. It felt as if he had Blowfly larva crawling beneath his skin.

Dogmeat took another look out onto the horizon. To the southeast, something large and tall had blinked into his view. Pawing the ground, Dogmeat wondered whether or not to change his course and try there instead. A gust of cold wind hit his hindquarters, as if urging him onwards. Dogmeat let out a snort of warmed air and continued onwards towards the great mass.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **09:15**  
Current Date**: 20/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Tenpenny Tower.

"Can I have the keys to the jeep?"

An incredulous frown struck the smooth shaven face of Mister Burke.

"May I enquire why?"

"I got a distress signal from...the Vault. I kept meaning to go and check it out. I got today off."

"I see."

"So can I have the keys? I'll be back tonight"

Burke felt for the ring of keys in his breast pocket and tossed it to the small girl standing in front of him. "Do not crash her again. Understood?" The girl chanced a small grin and hitched a small messenger bag onto her back. "Cheek, that was my first go as well. I'm much better now," Alex shot back before continuing, "Thanks Burke. You're not so bad sometimes."

The man leaned back in his chair; a faded blue leather one that still retained that air of elegance despite its somewhat haggard appearance. The top floor housed only four penthouse rooms; one belonging to Alistair Tenpenny, the other in possession of Burke, one empty and the other housed the Chengs. Burke's apartment was painted with cool greys and liquid blues. Just like the rest of Tenpenny tower, it was decorated with a pot plant or two and four selves filled with countless rare, intact books.

"I just did not want to listen to your complaining for the rest of the day."

Alex leaned down to lace up her boots; bracing her foot against Burke's desk. "You're such a gentleman."

"I try my best."

"Well, don't wait up for me." Alex straightened up, checked her supplies then paused to plant a brief, paper-dry kiss of his lips on her way out. The man grimaced at the fleeting, almost formal gesture but said nothing in protest. Burke would have certainly liked to coil an arm around her and pull the tenacious little teenager onto his lap but thought better of it. He knew Alex would have had none of it. He would have most likely received a boot to the gut if tried. She had been so difficult of late and treated him almost like a hostile; defensive and very rarely letting him within three feet of her personal space.

A feet and a half considering she slept in his bed at night.

Not that Burke slept anyway. Chronic Insomnia had that effect on him. When the small door of his apartment slammed shut, Burke returned to his book once again.

* * *

It was as if the war never happened

The innards of Tenpenny Tower like something out of a dream. The walls were coated with a deep crimson paint lined with gold borders. Polished, crystal chandeliers hung overhead; sparklingly brightly in the halogen lighting. Light orange plush chairs and elegant tables dotted the reception area, all of them empty due to the late hour. Beneath her feet was a stylish, fine red carpet that spanned out two or three metres. Planters were placed in every corner; well kept and flowering waxy, green leaves. Directly in front of the double doors was a reception desk with a phone, several pencils and a security guard. Living in Tenpenny Tower was like living in another time. Despite all the killing and desecration that lurked just outside the stone walls, Tenpenny continued to have polished its chandeliers and tanks of pure, fresh water. The tower of living proof that elitism could survive even atomic blasts.

The tower did not suit Alex in the slightest and she was glad to be out of the place. If only for a day.

If it were not for the promise of Caps and Burke, Alex would have moved on long ago.

Alex turned the key and the sand coloured jeep snorted awake with a growl. Burke's machine was parked at the back of Tenpenny Tower near the south exit. She rotated in her chair as she reversed out; careful not to put another bent in Burke's jeep. She was able to breathe easily again as she felt the familiar jump of the wheels rolling over steps. She wondered briefly as she rolled the car out onto the wasteland whether or not the jerry-rigged battery cells had enough power to get her to the Vault and back again. Burke's car was what he liked to call a "Hybrid Electric Vehicle." Instead of using ancient, extinct internal combustion, his jeep had adapted using chemical energy inside Electron Charge packs. It took five full cells connected up to power the growling machine and they could only last eighty or so miles. However, Burke always thought ahead and in the boot of the car was a spare set of five batteries.

It was a good few miles or so when Alex took the curve a little too fast, and the Jeep suffered for it. Tires slid across the frozen and slippery ground; struggling to get some traction. The countryside had become brutal. Slabs of thick granite rose in awesome cliffs of stripped and dotted rock. Inside various ravines and ditches were piles of rock, rubble and concrete. Skeleton trees were knitted so tightly together that they had become thick, black walls. Metal twisted and arched like obscure pieces of art.

It was a truly, utterly depressing sight.

The morning rolled on by without a hiccup. The trip had been fairly uneventful apart from a stray raider got in her way and paid dearly for it. Alex grimaced and made a metal note to dislodge the stray arm from the bull bars before returning to Tenpenny Tower. All the way to Springvale, Alex's hands clasped the steering wheel of the jeep with enough force to knock a Super Mutant over. To say that the girl was uneasy was certainly an understatement. Although Burke had taught her the fundamentals of driving, Alex was not confident in the wheel. Trying to control such a huge, roaring piece of machinery was beyond Alex – And she prided herself on being a master of all levels of technology and machinery. Despite her pride, she knew little of the bond between driver and machine. Alex had seen his face when he rolled a hand over the smooth bonnet.

Burke probably loved his car more than her.

Four slow, tedious and frankly tense hours later, Alex rolled up the full curves of a somewhat rocky hill to reach Springvale. With a snarl, the jeep slid downwards; Alex's booted foot braced against the brake pedal almost the whole time. Springvale had been abandoned for years and was nothing more than a collection of scorched wood, twisted metal and burnt plastic. It looked as though someone had taken a flamethrower and torched the entire town.

She was not far off the truth.

In the ruins of an old shed, Alex killed the engine of the vehicle and stepped out. The air savaged her exposed skin and sharp shards of ice speared her lungs when she breathed in. Such was Wasteland weather. Grey, irradiated snow was still thick; now more ice than actual snow. It was only November and winter had already taken a hold of the Wastes with an iron grip. December was still to come, and January was well.

Alex approached the rusted old door and descended lead to the Vault; her heart in her throat. The door looked exactly the same as before and there was no indication of forced entry. The skeletons she had not noticed the first time seemed much more ominous now and only added to the tense and dark atmosphere. Alex breathed in once then brushed her thumb against the console; allowing her fingers to punch in letters. The gear-shaped door spurred to life and let out a low, comforting hiss as one of its own returned at last. Steel against steel slid against each other as the gigantic door rolled to the side. Alex stepped through the threshold almost gingerly; half expecting to be shot on sight. Her leather clad hands found the cool, reassuring body of the Plasma Rifle.

It was the severe sense of restriction that unnerved Alex the most. After five months out in the open, wide Wasteland, the Vault felt contained and small. She concluded that Main power had been shut down and the dim lighting was the result of the emergency generators. Those machines were not terribly reliable and Stanley had been petitioning to get the upgraded before she left. Litter and sandbags stole every corner and spent ammo cases dusted the floor. It was as if a miniature war had broken out inside the Vault.

The small woman had only been inside the Vault for a few minutes when one of the Security Officers jumped her. It took a few tense moments for Alex to realise that she had the nozzle of her gun pressed against the chest of Officer Gomez. "Whoa whoa, I don't know how you got in here but..." the guard cut himself off and took a second to study her face intently. "Geez, Alex! I almost didn't recognise you from all that dirt and grime out there." The girl lowered her weapon, mouth uncharacteristically set in a deep frown.

"Nice to see you too," she remarked, shouldering her weapon by its makeshift sling.

"It's good to see you again. I was really worried but what are you doing here?" Gomez enquired, pausing for a moment to take in the sight of the runaway adolescent. It had not been her appearance and obvious lack of hygiene but rather a new sense of worth that had fooled him somewhat. Gomez remembered a small, rebellious and frankly bad-tempered teenager who lived in arrogance. The woman standing in front of him hardly seemed like the same girl that had escaped that night. There were many that would probably not recognise her. The haughty air that used to surround Alex had been diluted somewhat and she held a sort of new sense maturity and seriousness. Though her eyes still held their rebellious shine; stronger now than ever.

Alex followed Gomez up the stairs towards the Upper Atrium, her brain just as frazzled like her hair. "I picked up a distress call from Amata." The security guard jerked slightly.

"Amata? Boy, she could be in some real trouble if anyone were to find that out. But I'll keep that under my hat for your sake and hers."

"Geez, Looks like a Deathclaw tore up the place," Alex remarked, kicking a stray tin can out of her path.

_Deathclaw_, Gomez thought curiously. "That's James for you. Always doing the best for everyone but himself."

"So, what happened down here?"

"The night you and your father left, everything was plunged into chaos. We lost a lot of good people that night. Of course I didn't help that our Doctor had run off." Alex suddenly stilled; her breathing nothing more than a flutter in her chest. She swallowed loudly and looked down upon the smeared, once polished floor plating. There was little she could do but explain the situation and Gomez walked beside her silently; awaiting an answer.

"Dad would have been horrified to hear that...If he were still alive," came the utterly deadpan reply of the Doctor's daughter.

Officer Gomez looked horrified. "Oh, I am sorry Alex. I thought if anyone could survive out there a second time, it would have been him." The girl's head suddenly jerked upwards, eyes alight with an emotion that the older man could not recognise nor place. It was certainly not a look that Gomez was accustomed to seeing anyone wear, much less Alex.

He had expected a verbal assault on her part but received nothing but a nod. "Amata mention that you were in need of some help."

Gomez lifted his visor and rubbed his tired eyes. "Help is an understatement. Maybe you could make Amata and the Overseer see sense. They are both so hard-headed at times."

"It's what I'm here for. Take me to Amata," The girl commanded, completely ignorant of the fact that nearly three quarters of the Vault wanted her dead. Gomez opened his mouth to relay this fact but snapped his jaws shut when he remembered the strange rifle Alex carried on her back. He was sure that the look of the gun alone would keep any would-be assailants at bay.

And he was right. As they passed residents of the Vault, they would snarl in her general direction but give her wide berth. It was possibly the determined frown that adorned her face but most likely the glowing, twisted rifle that decorated her back. Alex herself was all too aware of the glares and hisses she received when she walked on by but she chose to do nothing about it. She had little need to waste energy on such petty fights and squabbles. Her new found logic surprised her slightly.

They reached the depths of the lower levels before Gomez spoke again.

"Here you go Alex, I'd go down with you but they don't take too kindly to Security these days."

"Thanks Gomez."

"See if Freddie is okay will you?"

The girl shot him a brief smile and descended down the rest of the stairs on her own. Piles of stray lockers, steel cases and furniture were stacked up in makeshift barricades and boxes were blown about the space as if a hurricane had just rolled out through. The threatening warnings of the Overseer echoed overhead in a menacing manner. Gone was that once cryptic atmosphere, replaced with a bitter, unrelenting tang of pandemonium. Alex shivered in her jacket. She unhooked her Plasma rifle, feeling that bit safer having a weapon in her hands.

Alex had just stepped around one of the barricades when she met the very familiar face of Butch DeLoria. His small, once formidable switchblade covered in the face of Alex's Plasma Rifle. Butch himself however had never looked happier. The moment he laid eyes on her, his face immediately brightened. Before Alex could react, Butch had launched at her and pulled the smaller girl into a crushing bear hug. Alex was certain that she felt her bones crying in protest.

"You've got a lot of balls to show your face back here but I'm glad you did," Butch remarked once he released her, ruffling her messy, russet locks affectionately. Alex eyed him warily, suddenly noticing how short he appeared and readjusted her overcoat.

"Yeah, I heard this place has gone to hell in a hand basket, where is Amata?"

Butch jerked his thumb towards the clinic. Alex felt what little tranquillity she possessed suddenly ripple. "She kept saying that you were going to come back. No one believed her though."

"I would have come sooner but I kept getting caught up," Alex remarked as Butch led her past the messy, incoherent blockades. Overhead, the lights flickered and dipped for several seconds. When Alex pointed it out, Butch waved it off. "I think they're probably trying to cut off the power to this part of the Vault," he explained, all the while eyeing Alex's glowing weapon. The girl jerked her head slightly and caught his stare. "Don't even think about it Butch. I had to wrestle this thing off an Enclave," she stated, wriggling her shoulders slightly. Butch snorted and said nothing more until they reached the Clinic.

Standing amongst an entanglement of mattresses, litter and other various pieces of equipment was Amata, the childhood friend of the wayward teenager. Alex stared, completely unsure what to say or do. She would have certainly liked to have flung herself at the taller girl and hugged her senseless but something kept Alex from doing so. The gentle girl dropped the pile of books she was carrying with a heavy thud. No one bothered to pick them up.

"Alex," Amata breathed; her voice nothing more than a whisper on the wind. Saying nothing, the brunette simply nodded back. Butch had disappeared to take up position outside the makeshift stockade and what little residents in the Clinic knew better than to interrupt the two teenagers. Alex shifted under the atmosphere, not used to use tense conditions. In the Wasteland, everything surged and gushed quicker than any river and one would either have to go with the flow or be washed away completely. In the Vault, time crawled slower than V.A.T.S and day to day activities dragged on; no one cared when you ate or when you slept. In the Wasteland, a thirty minute nap and half a Brahmin steak could mean the difference between life and death.

It was the sensation of Amata nuzzling into shoulder that brought Alex back from the mental ravine that she had lost her lifeline for. Stirring, Alex returned the embrace and hugged the taller girl tightly with enough force to crumple steel. Alex felt as if she were about to break down in tears but fought to keep her composure. After all, the girl had not even cried when her father had died or when the plague of loneliness had settled in. Alex's stubborn pride, however watered down by time, refused to allow such weakness.

"I've missed you." The smaller girl clung tighter to Amata's comforting blue jumpsuit as a child would to a parent or one sibling to another.

"Me too," Alex breathed back. Amata eventually released her friend from her crushing grasp and placed her hands on the Alex's small shoulders; studying her face intently. The shorter girls face twitched into a small scowl, somewhat taken back at Amata's sudden distance since Alex had wanted to hug her some more.

"There you are Alex. I was afraid I had lost you," Amata remarked. What exactly she had been looking for would remain a mystery of Alex's curious soul forever.

"Yeah, it's me."

"I hardly recognise you. You look so tanned."

Alex's brow smoothed out and a smile ironed its way onto her face. "Gomez said I was just dirty." Amata reached out and wiped a stray smudge from Alex's cheek.

"Who have you been rolling in the mud with?"

The smaller of the two girls let out a snort. "Wouldn't you like to know," Alex remarked, something heated dancing in jade depths that eluded Amata but not the author. Amata let out a small spatter of laughter and motion for Alex to sit down on one of the orange, plush chairs in the corner of the clinic. Alex looked around as she sunk down in the clean, crisp material.

"I like what you have done with the place," Alex remarked, motioning to the barricades, mess of shelves and boxes and just general clutter. Amata swept aside piles of paper with obvious disgruntlement and sat down.

"Not exactly how your dad would have liked his Clinic to be used. Did you find him?"

Alex grimaced slightly. That part of her consciousness was No Man's land.

"No, He's ahead of me." Her tone was painfully light-hearted.

But Amata smiled that pretty, charming little grin and knew nothing of the torment that swirled within her friends aching heart.

"I'm sure you'll find him soon."

"Someday I will. So what's going on down here?"

"You comfy because this is one hell of a story."

The smaller girl leaned back in the chair and listened to the jabber of her childhood friend. Simple words like "lockdown" and "paranoia" became powerful and real. Alex listened half-heartedly, more observant of the happenings of the clinic. There were less "rebels" than Alex was expecting; only her old school friends and a few adults seemed to have any interest in the fate of the Vault. Over in the corner was Freddie Gomez; fixing what appeared to be a broken fission battery. Butch DeLoria still prowled the corridors outside with his pistol and switchblade. Susan Mack, as Alex had expected, was keeping her distance and Old Lady Palmer was collecting up litter and other assortments of junk; trying to keep the place clean and tidy.

In the furthest corner was Jason Lee, once a Grade Three technical Specialist. They had worked together almost three years in maintenance; trying to out-complain one another about "who's life sucked more." He was bright boy who, just like Alex, was not happy at being placed in the maintenance department of Vault 101. But much unlike Alex, he longed to be something more and studied medicine in his spare time. Alex watched him inject a needle into the slim arm of a trembling Christine Kendall.

"Hey, you listening to me Alex?"

Alex chanced a small smile. "Not really no."

"Heh, figures. Oh, before I forget," Amata paused and lifted up a large, metal box from beside her chair. Labelled with Amata's neat print was the word "Halsey" printed on the side. Alex's mouth went as dry as the Potomac riverbed. Inside the box were all of her father's belongings and some of her own; books, clothing and pictures and various photographs.

"You can thank Butch for them. He snuck in before my father had the place locked."

Alex hugged the box to her chest. "I never expected to get half of this stuff back."

"What are you going to do about my dad?"

"I'll talk to him for you. I doubt he'll listen to me."

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **14:22**  
Current Date**: 20/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Vault 101.

There was no one on the earth who Alex hated more than Alphonse Almodovar. Or more formerly known as The Overseer. Brash, controlling and a regular bully, Alex had never seen eye to eye with the man. As any typical problem child, Alex had been sent to his office on more than one occasion. As a younger teenager, Alex mouthed off on more times than she could count. As a working adult, her displeasure at meaningless and fruitless tasks gave rise to even more friction. Her relationship with the Overseer of Vault 101 was an endless cycle of disobedience and detentions.

Now, the young woman stood before him with arms folded and eyes spitting fire.

However, it was him who spoke first.

"So here you are Alex. Just thought you could sneak back in here like a teenager missing curfew. Well you have no place in this Vault anymore."

The younger girl released a snort. "I don't want to be part of this Vault anyway."

The Overseer narrowed his eyes, brow wrinkled.

"Then what are you doing back then? You don't belong here"

"A little bird needed my help, gave me the password for the door. She said you needed to be stopped"

The older man leaned back on his desk chair, clearly curious to know more. "Really, Amata said that did she?"

"And she is right. You need to open the Vault."

Brown eyes near enough slits, the Overseer stuck to his guns; not the slightest bit intimidated by the young woman. "Really? What makes you think that you know what is best for this Vault?"

"I'm not an Overseer so I can't answer that."

"I thought as much. Typical Alex; never thinking before speaking. You're just like your father, selfish and insubordinate."

_Alex lass, don't let 'im get to yeh. It's not worth it._

But the girl had dropped off the highway of logical reasoning long ago.

The shoulders of Alex visibly trembled and she felt as if her lungs had shrivelled within her chest for each breath was shallow and harboured. The Pip-Boy on her wrist pulsed in gentle, irregular waves; trying and failing to quell the anger of his owner. Alex ignored his urgings and sided with rage as feral as ghouls. "My Dad was not selfish, far from it."

A grunt escaped the chest of the Overseer at the young woman's statement. "'Was?' I assume that he is dead then."

"Yes."

"Good riddance."

Alex stilled.

"_Shh...You're safe now honey. No more monsters. No more Nightmares. That's it. Daddy's got you."_

"_Hmmm? Good? Is that good? Here you go, not too fast now. That's it honey, everything with the spoon."_

"_Your mommy? Oh sweetie, of course I miss her. So much. Each day more than the last._

"_Don't give me that. You were drunk. All of you. What if the Overseer had found you instead of me? Didn't think of that did you?"_

"_Yes, Amata can come over once you clean your room. Now move, this place is disgusting."_

"_Oh my brave girl. You saved me." _

"_Run...Run!"_

It was as if Alex had stepped out of body for a moment. Before her psyche could catch up with her body, the smaller girl had all but lunged at the man. She practically vaulted his desk in one swoop. Gloved hands found a fistful or two of blue denim and hauled the older man from his chair. With a strangled cry, the Overseer hit the nearby wall with an audible thump. He let out a cough that would halt even a Super Mutant. But not the small, ex-resident of Vault 101. No, her entire vision had been blinded with red rage. Alex advanced, breathing deeply as if she had just run a race. The tendons in her arm muscles flexed and strained as she heaved him onto his feet, only to drop him again.

Soon, blood painted the walls and floor. If Alex could have seen herself, she would have been disgusted.

But none of that seemed to matter in the slightest.

Every ounce of hate she felt, every fibre of loathing all exploded in a heap of rage. All the bottled up emotions of self-doubt, all the loss of confidence that she had been fighting for days, all the anger at herself and at the people who had made her feel less than what she was… it all came rushing up to the surface.

Someone else found Alex's spare 10mm pistol; the same one that Amata had given to her on the fateful night and aimed it directly at him. The Overseer shivered as best as his broken ribs would allow. Never before had he seen the girl so furious, so angry. He doubted that most of the rage the coursed through the girl was directed at him. Through trembled wheezing on both parties, Her Pip-Boy buzzed loudly; being the voice of reason to his owner. Alex heard his urgings in her ear but thought very little of them.

"Go on...Alex, end it all with me...if...that's what you want," the Overseer goaded, a trail of bitter blood sneaking down his lips.

The itching trigger finger wavered and Alex's next words startled her ears. "No, I'm not like you. I'm not a murderer. I'm not a bully. Maybe I'm selfish. But my Dad wasn't. He was far from selfish. He died to protect me and his life's work. You're the selfish one. You're smothering this Vault; suffocating them with your damn rules and regulations. But they don't complain because they are too stupid and naive to know any better."

The Overseer spat out a mouthful of blood and moved a hand to clutch his broken ribs. His silence was encouraging.

Looking down at him, Alex did not feel remotely sorry for her actions. "I'm going to leave now. You will hand over control to Amata or I will come back and finish the job."

"Petty threats Alex?...Didn't think even you were that bad."

Alex's throat jerked uncomfortably.

"You never really cared about sorting this mess out did you?"

The mechanic shrugged in a rather careless kind of way. "Of course I cared. I could have killed you if it had solved the problem" she remarked, her rage completely spend. "But not even I would kill a defenceless man," the girl continued, turning her back on the Overseer.

"For...what it is worth, I regret what happened to Jonas."

From outside the office, Alex heard footsteps fast approaching. The scene must have looked horrific: a bloodied and battered old man slumped against the wall and a young woman standing before him with soiled gloves. Alex was not the least be surprised to find Amata suddenly at the door with a rather ruffled Jason Lee (who looked as if he had been dragged through a hedge backwards) The taller girl looked at the scene with obvious horror; mouth agape eyes equally as wide.

Amata turned to her friend. "What the hell happened here?" she demanded as Jason rushed forward to her father, paramedical instincts taking over. The Overseer let out small groans as Jason prodded and poked here and there.

Everyone seemed to have forgotten that the Vault was supposed to be in complete upheaval.

"I solved the problem," she answered candidly as if she were reporting the weather.

Amata flared at the pure ignorance of the answer. "It looks like you used him for a soccer ball. I told you not to harm him!" Amata glanced over Jason Lee, biting her bottom lip.

"I did what you asked. By default, you're now the Overseer. And your father got what was coming to him."

Amata's head jerked as if Alex had just slapped her. "How could you say that!?"

With every fibre of her body shaking and trembling, Alex answered, "Your father had Jonas killed, my friend for almost nineteen years. I had something of a...score to settle."

The older girl simply stared. She did not need to do anything else. The look on Amata's face was worth a thousand words.

"I think its best you left before I do something I'll regret."

Alex stared at her. "What will you do now?"

The older girl struggled to keep her composure. "We'll shut the Vault for a while until we can get the place manageable again. Then I'll send teams out."

A smattering of mixed emotions fluttered in Alex's chest; each of them strange and wavering. Amata, Jason and the Overseer all stared at Alex as if she were some diseased creature. In a way, they were not far from the truth.

There was an obvious divide between them; an invisible barrier stronger than steel that Alex could never hope to puncture. They had never had to kill to survive and lie to avoid death. Down in the Vault, they had everything they need; food, medicine, fresh water and the means to education. All a Wastelander had was their life – and even that was not really theirs.

Alex was from the Wasteland; once a naive Vault Dweller hardened by months of combat experience. Her muscles were sturdy, her legs strong and her back able to carry twice her own body weight. The girl standing in front of them with bloodied knuckles was not the same person who had run away nearly six months previously. All that remain of Alex was the rebellious glimmer in her eyes and the bite in her voice that would make Dogmeat proud.

When nothing more was to be said besides from the commands and requests of Jason Lee.

And when Alex turned to leave, this time, no one stopped her.

* * *

"Feeling better now Sir?"

"Much now," was the reply of the old Colonel. The captain gave a nod of her small, blonde head and set the steel crate she was carrying down onto the Colonel's already straining desk. Piles of small crates and boxes were stacked upon the groaning desk of Autumn. Inside the cases were hundreds upon hundreds of research notes and materials. Most, Colonel Autumn concluded, belonged to Doctor James Halsey. He was an articulate man and documented every note he took. There was a few signed and documented by one Doctor Madison Li and fewer belonged to a Catherine Halsey.

"Is that everything?" The Colonel asked the blonde captain.

"I hope so Sir. We've gutted that place out several times now. " The older man chanced a very small smile as he prised the slid open. This new case was not filled with documents or exceedingly boring charts but rather personal belongings. After a few moments of hesitant poking and prodding, Colonel Autumn could only presume that he was looking at the belongings of the Halsey girl.

"What have we got on the Halsey girl?"

"Nothing yet Sir but we are following up several leads."

"I see, and what of the dog?

"We've put the tracker on just as you asked and released him. If he is loyal to the Halsey girl, he will eventually return to her."

"And our other guest?" The colonel asked; bitterness thick upon his voice.

"He's still suffering from radiation sickness but he will pull through."

"Very good soldier. Dismissed."

"Sir."


	8. Chapter Eight: Flesh And Bone

**Whoa, look at that, another update. Just another filler chapter, finishing off an edited version of the Replicated man. Like the last one, skipped out a lot since I didn't want this chapter to become too long D: I am moving to NZ on the 23****rd**** so I will be without internet for a while so this will probably be the last chapter until I'm on the other side. I'm taking my Laptop Via Hand-luggage so I will still be able to type and stuff. Just not sure when I'll get the internet back. **

**Wish me luck!**

**A slight warning though. The end of this chapter contains LW/Burke. Since I know he's not everyone's cup of tea, I figured I'd put a warning on the top of the chapter. **

**Almost at 60 reviews! Thank you all so very much! :D Thanks to all those who reviewed: MysticGohan88, Mr. Wang 330, White Sallie, dumbrat, TropicR, Five, Nekoo267, netbreaker0, LovelyxxMelody and Neo Kira. You guys keep me driving!**

**Doctor Anchorage belongs to The Sixth (And he is named after the Ragnar Anchorage station in the Battlestar Galactica movie) **

**"Fallout: Red Sun" by Shinsou808, "Diamonds and Rust" by Agent Hellgirl, "Fallout 3: The Avenger" by Mr Wang 330, "The Ghoul, The Bad and The Ugly" by InRodWeTrust, "Excavation" by Kosmokomik and "The Lone Wanderer" by LovelyxxMelody! And now "Fallout 3: The Twilight Saint" by MysticGohan88. All awesome stories in their own right.**

* * *

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"I analyze and I verify and I quantify enough  
100 percentile no errors no miss  
I synchronize and I specialize and I classify so much  
****Don't worry 'bout dreaming because I don't sleep  
****I wish I could at least 30 percent  
Maybe 50 for pleasure then skip all the rest"  
-Yoko Kanno, "Be Human"**

**Chapter Eight: **Flesh And Bone

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **09:11**  
Current Date**: 21/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Southeast of Rivet City.

Instead of heading back for Tenpenny Tower as she had promised Burke, Alex had done the complete opposite and drove the thirty miles to Rivet City. She was sick with loneliness and heartache, mixing with that bitter sense of pride. All the way towards Rivet City, her actions inside of Vault 101 churned inside her brain. Her mind felt like an old radio; fizzing and crackling with noisy static. The girl was seeking out Rivet City; the one place where she felt so completely and totally at home. It closed, cramped, confined (much unlike Tenpenny) and was every bit the likeness of Vault 101. Alex needed that feeling of comfort after being exiled from her childhood home. The Caps in her bag jiggled as she went over a large rock; adjusting to the green compass on her vision.

"Tenpenny is gonnae be pissed with yeh now. Yeh only got today off" her Pip-Boy buzzed.

Alex took her eyes off the road for a moment to look down at the small device.

"Burke will probably just cover for me. You know what he is like."

A synthesised sigh escaped the Pip-Boy. "Yeh really shouldnae pin your hopes on that devil."

Alex pressed her booted foot onto the breaks to avoid a sudden drop in the landscape "You don't like him?"

The innards of the jeep flashed a dull amber from the light of her Pip-Boy. "Nae one bit"

The jeep at her command bounced and rolled all the way back to Rivet City; struggling to gain traction of the wet and slippery ground. Her severe lack of good judgement lead the girl to the poor decision of driving near the shore of the river. The snow was heavier and thicker further into the D.C ruins. Great piles of ice and snow commandeered every inch of ground and twice, Alex had to spot and kick snow out of her path. Despite the threat of freezing temperatures, ice pitfalls and avalanches, winter was the safest time for the humans of the Wasteland. Everything remotely dangerous had gone into hibernation, including most Super Mutants. Although they were strong and sturdy, the Super Mutants were rather intolerable to the cold. For three months of the year, humans were free to walk around the Capital. Raiders and Slavers were still a problem, however, the Brotherhood of Steel (Freed up from fighting Super Mutants) were more than a match.

She was on the final stretch of the river – Rivet City only two or so miles away – when she made the mistake of looking out onto the Potomac River. The Jefferson memorial stood out amongst the rubble; small black dots buzzing about like bees around a hive. She felt a great pang in her chest and forced her jade eyed vision away; looking up onto the mirror. The scar was looking much better; no longer a sticky red but rather a creamy white. It stood out against her suntanned cheeks; a reminder of what had transpired that day. Not that Alex needed something to remember it by. Her father floated back into her sieved mind and Alex waited for the throb of heartache or the mist of sorrow to descend again. But it never came. Instead, her pain had become a deep emptiness that, while it did not sting, it longed to be filled.

When she reached The Anacostia Crossing, Alex parked the jeep under the rusted and sturdy structure of the bridge. The sky had begun to darken with irradiated snow clouds; threatening to drop their load at any moment. At the nearby ramp, Doc Hoff was selling off his wares wrapped in several thick layers; heavily guarded by two, armoured pack dogs and a caravan guard sporting a combat shotgun. Alex looked towards the blackening horizon, frown dented on her face. Try as she might, she could not avoid seeing Project Purity glimmering in the hazy distance.

In the marketplace of Rivet City, Flak was wrapped up in a thick leather jacket when Alex arrived at his stall. He jerked out of whatever mental ravine he was in when the young woman approached; Caps jingling in her denim stitched pockets. The older man surveyed her and the smile that was creeping onto his face stopped dead in its tracks. If it had not been for her small stature and mesh of russet colour locks, Flak was sure he would have taken her for someone else. There was no bounce to her step. Her confidence was like Swiss cheese; blown apart with so many different holes and the spark of fire in her eyes was dim. A scar stretched across her left eye and she looked thinner than usual.

Flak forced a smile onto his weathered face. "That you Alex? Hell, I haven't seen you around in a while."

The girl dropped her Plasma rifle onto the table and rolled her shoulders; stiff from the journey. "I've been keeping busy."

"Busy huh? I heard there was some kind of incident over at Project Purity. You didn't have anything to do with that did you?" Flak asked. The answer was already plain as day to him.

"What gave it away? Those microfusion cells please Flak," Alex remarked, gesturing towards the small box behind the older man.

Flak slid the cells forward with a small grunt. "Figured as much. You just can't help yourself can you?"

Alex let out a small chuckle as she counted out the Caps from her back pocket. "No, not really. Have you got an old Plasma Rifle?"

"Yeah, two. No one ever wants them."

"Right, give me the best one. I need it to repair this."

The older man raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to be messing with Plasma? It's kinda dangerous if the Plasma tanks burst."

"Does it look like I care Flak?" Flak stifled a cutting remark and fought down his irritation.

Females could be so petty sometimes. He was certainly glad he wasn't married.

Tactfully, he changed the subject "That brainbox Zimmer has been looking for you."

Her demeanour took a complete 180 and her face dropped like a ton of bricks. "What? When?"

"Past couple of days. Apparently, you were supposed to locate some equipment for him. Any truth to that?"

Alex's stomach chose that very moment to suddenly clench up. She had completely forgotten that she was supposed to find that runaway-android for the overbearing Doctor from the Common Wealth.

Well, better make a start on hunting the robot down.

"Thanks Flak, I'll see him later."

The man gave her a slow and wary nod.

"Be careful Alex."

"A little late for that don't you think?" She retorted, swinging two Plasma Rifles onto her back and shoving her sack of caps deep into her bag. Flak watched her department, concern growing for the small woman. He had little doubt in his mind that she was an extremely capable fighter – you had to be to survive the Enclave – but he still could not shake that feeling of dread when he thought of the small girl wandering about the Wasteland on her own. That was the exact reason that his own sister was killed, murdered by raiders when their parents had died and she was seeking him out. And his younger sister had not been much older than Alex.

The clinic was only a deck up from the marketplace; straight up the rusted iron steps of the stairs, forward then the first right. It was located maybe a few metres from the lab of Doctor Madison Li. A old man sporting a labcoat answered the containment door when Alex rapped it with her padded knuckles.

"Doctor Preston?" she asked. The man nodded, gesturing her into the medical bay. Alex looked around with distaste. The room was no bigger than two or three metres. A single bunk was braced to the wall; two strong sturdy chain supporting it in mid-air. Screening sheets, copies of X-rays and other medical equipment dotted the room.

"Yup, that's me. Can I help you?"

Alex stood in her favourite stance – arms folded across her chest; like the position was pre-programmed into her brain

"Sorry girl, can't say I have. There's been a rumour or two but no one really buys into that stuff. You can have this holotape but that's all I can give you," stated the older man, tossing a battered holotape into Alex's unsuspecting hands. The said girl eyed the doctor; looking for a sliver of dishonestly in his open stare. Doctor Preston was everything a doctor was supposed to be; kind, compassionate and had a better bedside manner than Doctor Church of Megaton.

"Are you sure that is all?"

The doctor's quirked his head to the side, apparently thinking. "Well, I suppose you could go and see Doctor Anchorage here in Rivet City. He's into this kind of stuff."

"Doctor Anchorage? What do you know about him?"

The man nodded. "For starters, don't comment on his name. Secondly, don't take anything he says personally. He doesn't mean it, well, most of the time anyway. The man offends just about everyone he meets but he certainly is brilliant. Doctor Li however, hates him with a passion."

"Why?"

The doctor stuffed his hands into his Labcoat. "Doctor Li doesn't trust him I suppose; claims he wastes resources on his projects. She's one to talk though."

Alex stiffened slightly. "Alright, where can I find him?"

"Usually on the flight deck. That man has an obsession with anything that flies. I wouldn't be surprised if he worked for the Enclave at one point."

"Well, thanks."

"No problem. Take care of yourself."

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **11:11**  
Current Date**: 21/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Flight Deck, Rivet City.

Rivet City's flight deck stretched from end to end for at least two miles. It overlooked the Potomac River and was rather bare apart from a group of old American fighter plans. The snow had melted upon the deck then had frozen during the night; glazing the metal with sheet of thin but exceptionally slippery ice. It was the last place Alex expected to find a crippled Doctor. But sure enough, she could make out two small blobs crouched underneath the stomach of one of the aircraft.

When she approached the rusted old fighter jet, she heard the equally rusted voice of who she assumed was Doctor Anchorage.

"Hand me that spanner over there?"

"The three quarters or the five eights?"

A weather man appeared from under the belly of the aircraft; wearing a deep frown. He was about Burke's age with short, uneven black hair. A set of deep, cooling blue eyes stared out at her; trailing over her short figure. Clearly unimpressed at her sudden appearance, the man Alex could only assume was Doctor Anchorage let out a snort.

"Huh, you're too short to be my usual rent boy. Snoops! Who is this?" Alex looked as if the good doctor had hauled her through a hedge backwards

A second later, a smaller man suddenly appeared from around the other side of the aircraft. Alex would only presume that he was the "Snoops" character. He was quite young, no more than thirty five with thick blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He stood at only five foot two or three and was adorned in a labcoat marred with oil and other dark stains. "I..I don't know doctor. She wasn't here a minute ago."

"Oh shut up."

Had Alex not wanted information, she would have probably snapped at him "You're Doctor Anchorage right? City wide jerk with a limp?" Alex asked, opting to ignore his previous statement.

The man tapped his right leg. "That's me kid. How can I help you this fine day?" he mocked out from under the stomach of the aircraft he was working on.

"People tell me you're the one to talk to about a run-away android."

The doctor wheeled himself out from under the plane, adjusting his busted leg slightly. "Two things you need to know about people of Rivet City. One is that everybody lies and the secondly, everyone has a big mouth," he remarked cynically. Alex let out a snort, irritation causing her to drop any pretence of politeness.

"Look, if you could just tell me whatever you know about the missing android then I would be very grateful," retorted the young woman. The man eyed Alex beadily, searching for something within her jade depths. It seemed to happen a lot to Alex and she did not have the foggiest what exactly people were looking for. Usually, they found what eluded them or sometimes just laughed in her face.

"Your James kid aren't you?"

Alex winced slightly. "Yeah."

With a grunt, Doctor Anchorage struggled up from the wet ground with the help of his assistant and his cane. "Well, Doctor Pinkerton is one you need. He was the one who performed the surgery to change his face and erase his memories."

"How do you know?"

"That's the funny thing really, I was there," Doctor Anchorage sneered, leaning on his walking stick. Had Alex not been so uptight, she would have curious to know what had injured him so.

"Where can I find him?"

Doctor Anchorage released a sigh at her ignorance and fished into the labcoat pocket. He brought out a small, card-like device that looked like the security keys she used back at Tenpenny Tower. When the older man held it up to the light, the card was entirely see through. In an instant, the cold plastic card found a home in Alex's open palm.

"There's a backdoor entrance not too far from here on the broken bow of the ship, use that to get in so you don't have to pick the lock."

Alex eyed the man warily. "Why are you helping me?"

The older man straightened up slightly. "Your dad was a good guy. He didn't deserve what happened it him."

The girl shifted uncomfortably. "Well, thanks," Alex responded, abiding to her father's protocols of good manners. The doctor waved her off and returned his attention back to the aircraft behind him.

"Now go on, scoot. That android is not going to find itself you know."

With a half-hearted smile, Alex turned and left than man to his own devices.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **11:46**  
Current Date**: 21/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Broken Bow, Rivet City.

"What the hell am I even doing here?" the girl asked herself, sliding the clear keycard into the empty slot on the bulkhead door. The door remained sealed despite countless attempts to open it with the keycard. The girl glared at the door as if it were deliberately mocking her. Alex was beginning to have a nasty suspicion that Doctor Anchorage had been lying and the card was useless.

Her Pip-Boy let out a mechanical click in response.

"Because you've got a job to do apparently," he remarked as sulkily as his voice box would allow.

"You still pissed that I took it?"

"Yeh still view me as just a machine?"

Having no answer to give, Alex tried the card once more. Something within the keycard lock clicked for the door let out small pop then swung forward with an exceptionally loud groan. Gingerly, Alex stepped through the threshold. Darkness stole every corner of the corridor and the air smelt of stagnate water. The broken bow seemed to moan and groan was water sloshed from side to side; both inside and out.

No sooner had Alex stepped through the doorway when something large and grey bounded towards her from the open staircase. Pincers snapped the air; strong enough to shatter steel and grind bones to dust. It was roughly two or three feet high and was encased entirely in a bluish grey shell. A small triangle of pinkish flesh stood against pallid skin and Alex was lucky that it was the weak spot for that was where she shot first. Green Plasma sizzled through the air and struck the exposed skin. Alex jumped backwards; crushing her body against the damp steel as the Mirelurk convulsively jerked and twitched as Plasma brunt through the sensitive flesh. "Knock 'em onto his back. Tis the weakness," commanded her Pip-Boy. Taking his advice, Alex darted forward (taking care to dodge the pincers) and hit the creature with the side of her rifle. It fell backwards down the stairs with a clatter and did not move again.

"What on earth was that?"

"That, lass, was a Mirelurk."

The girl looked down the staircase gingerly. "You mean to tell me that Burke eats those?"

"Yes."

Alex winced and pulled a face. "Gross."

The small device lit up the corridor ahead. "Careful now, I be picking up traces of carbon and hydrogen. Lots like a lot of corridors in here are flooded with Propane gas."

Alex moved forward cautiously. "No way. Propane gas has been gone for years."

Her Pip-Boy brought up his sensor analysis of the air as Alex wandered through the bowels of the bow. He was right – trace amounts of hydrogen and carbon laced the air. If she were to light a match, the entire corridor would go up in flames.

"How long do you think this place has been leaking?" The girl asked as she flicked a nearby switch. The door blocking her way became animated and swung forward when the security locks disengaged. She took a left and suddenly found herself in a dimly lit but highly furbished room. It was like a cross between Doctor Li's lab and Doctor Preston's medical bay. Tools and equipment lined almost every surface. At least fifty blood packs were piled upon a table near an operating table. Consoles blinked and winked in the corner, as if they were greeting her.

No sooner had she turned around when an older man had approached her so swiftly and silently that Alex was sure he had just popped out of the ground.

"Who are you? What the hell are you doing in here? Get out before you break something"

Taken back at the hostility greater hers, Alex was quite startled. She studied the man for a moment. He was older – much older than her father at least with thick white hair and wearing a venomous scowl. An Assault Rifle was strapped to his back and he was adorned in a simple Brahmin skin jacket, pants and heavy boots.

"Hey hey, I just wanted to ask you something is all."

The man let out a small grunt. "Hmm, I'm surprised that you were even able to find me. Usually, people don't have enough guts to brave the Mirelurks."

Alex held up the clear keycard to the light.

"Doctor Anchorage gave this to me."

"Anchorage huh? And you haven't tried to kill me yet so I guess you can't be all that bad then. What do you want?"

"Ever performed a facial surgery on an Android?"

Pinkerton stiffened slightly. "Who wants to know?"

The scratching of one hundred Caps slid forward in reply. Pinkerton collected up the Caps thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I performed the surgery. Those android skinjobs look just like us, even on the inside. But Commonwealth Technology isn't all the great once you get down to it," Pinkerton remarked, shoving a pile of notes into an overflowing bin. Alex bent down and picked up a stray bottle of Buffout and placed it on his countertop.

"Why did you do it? Help out an artificial and take such a risk?"

"Don't get me wrong kid, I didn't do it because of those nutjobs from Railroad came to be preaching to me. I just wanted to crack open that android and have a poke around."

The girl leaned back against the countertop. "How do I know this isn't a complete load of crap?"

Growling as if she had offended his honour, Pinkerton pointed to the small console that Alex had missed when she first walked in.

"You can check my files, it's all there. Even his identity."

Her stomach did a complete 180 within her gut.

That was all she needed; his name. Turning on Pinkerton, the girl strolled over to the console and plugged in her Pip-Boy. Just a few more minutes and then she could report back to Zimmer.

Frost colder than the wind outside washed into her neck. _Please lass, dinnae do this. Let's just go back tae that fancy tower._

_Why is this such an issue? It's not like I'm turning you over or something._

Data flooded backwards and forwards into the glowing appliance. His data transfer rate was slower than usual. _The concept be the same._

_He's probably someone we haven't even spoke to before. We report the findings back to Zimmer. He pays us then we go back. Easy as._

The download suddenly halted.

_What if it were me in that body? Would yeh hand me over?_

Alex attempted a manual override; forcing her Pip-Boy to download the information stored with the hard drive of the console. She was not the least bit surprised to find she had been locked out.

_That's different._

_Nae it's not. If I was downloaded into a physical body, would you hand me over just because I was nae flesh and blood?_

_No, of course not. You know I wouldn't. You're my friend._

The device flashed as the download continued. _What do you suggest I do then? Zimmer will make things difficult for us if we don't do something._

_We take this data. We delete Pinkerton's then we go back to Tenpenny Tower. We'll keep this safe._

_Means we won't be able to come back to Rivet City._

_I know._

The girl released a breath of air just as her Pip-Boy released his happy, high pitched ping of competition. "Let's see our guy then," Alex muttered, scrolling through the recently downloaded files. She glanced through Pinkerton's ramblings and deleted the excess junk. A picture of a man popped up on her screen and she was so stunned when she saw it that Alex had to look twice.

It was Harkness. Chief of Rivet City's security.

He was the android?

Alex blinked, trying to assimilate the knowledge but failing every time she tried. Chief Harkness was the pinnacle of humanity. He was respected by all who resided within Rivet City and a member of the City council. The man worked hard, training his team and keeping trouble makers in line. Harkness had been the one who had helped her when she collapsed on the bridge from blood loss and he was the one who took her down to see Doctor Li. Alex remembered it well; she had been practically hanging on him and her blood had stained his uniform.

Harkness was the android.

_What do I do?_

_We stick with the plan little lassie. _

_What do we tell Zimmer?_

Her Pip-Boy was busy erasing files from Pinkerton's console. The primitive firewalls the older man had placed up were no match for Vault-Tec device

_Nothin'. We leave 'nd keep this Data safe. Nae one needs to know what Harkness is._

_If it were anyone or anything else asking me, I'd refuse them._

_I know. Thank yeh._

They had exited Pinkerton's lab and back tracking down the corridor before Alex spoke again.

_Why was such an issue to you? You're not exactly an android._

What she could only guess was a sigh was released through the speakers of her Pip-Boy as they passed through a cloud of diluted gas.

_I wish I was though._

_Why?_

_Yeh have nae idea how it feels tae be stuck on someone's wrist day after day. I wish I had more free will; tae have the choice where I want to go and what I want tae do._

Alex bristled slightly. _I don't exactly oppress you. _

Her Pip-Boy hummed loudly. _But yeh dinnae exactly encourage me either._

Alex dusted off the light covering of ice from the windshield of Burke's car, thinking deeply. _I never needed to. You're just a computer program._

_Hey!_

_Sorry sorry. Let's just get back okay? It's been a long day._

And as Alex left Rivet City, nothing else was said on the matter.

* * *

The husky dog stopped to sniff the ground; pawing at dirt through the snow. He was closer now. Dogmeat could feel it right down into the marrow of his very bones. Each step took him closer and closer to his goal. The sun had set long ago but the dog did not need light to find his packmate. He was following the unique tang of his sister (having picked it up nearly two hours previous) He was glad of it. Dogmeat felt so very weary. Every ounce of gloss had been sapped from his coat. Hair hung down in either limp or matted from blood. His once strong and powerful muscles had rotted away into knotty strings and his flesh padding at dwindled. His ribs stuck out through loose folds of wrinkled skin. The itching still persisted, stronger than ever now. Dogmeat had tried to dislodge it on many occasions; rubbing and rolling on his back against the hardest patch of ice he could find.

A long tongue rolled of his jaws; licking dry blood from around his muzzle. Dogmeat was no hunter, he was a scavenger and it was only be luck that lead him to catch a juvenile molerat. He was not far from the tall, stone building. He was sure of it.

Just a little further now.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: 0**1:45**  
Current Date**: 21/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Tenpenny Tower.

"Would you kindly move over?"

"You move over."

"If I move over any more, I'll fall right out."

"Like I care." With a snort, Alex rolled onto her side; intent on ignoring the man lying next to her. Through the fuzzy darkness, Burke's malignant scowl blackened as he stared at the back of Alex Halsey. She was still dressed. His suite was frightfully cold, even with the heater up at full blast. Burke had followed the suit, opting to remove only his jacket. It was a laziness that he did not usually allow himself.

Back to the topic at hand. Burke was, to put it bluntly, was getting quite sick Alex's behaviour. When she had returned that night with a box of belongings and ammo, she was even more petulant than usual. When questioned, the girl took his concern and snubbed him off. Burke was utterly perplexed by her reasoning and as hard as he tried, he could not come up with any logical explanation as to why she chose to behave in such a manner. Well over a month had passed since she had arrived in Tenpenny Tower and he was still no closer to understanding what went through her russet haired head.

The more he thought about it while he stared up at the ceiling, the more it annoyed him. His patience had long since dwindled. Now, he would corner her and demand some answers. He had grown tired of being in the dark.

Literally.

The man reached over and flicked the bedside light back on. Light chased away darkness and the room suddenly brightened. Burke waited for the explosion on her part and was certainly not disappointed.

Alex let out a groan as light pierced her sensitive eyeballs and thrashed around to face the culprit; lips twisted into a snarl and all nerves raging. The man almost laughed at the look of pure indignity and disgruntlement that painted Alex's face. "What Burke?" she half questioned, half growled; eyeing him beadily.

Burke let a tiny grin play on his lips before he answered: "Forgive me my dear but we must talk."

Grumbling incoherently, Alex looked at the small, whirling device on her wrist.

1:45 am.

How perfect.

"At quarter to two at night Burke? Couldn't this have waited?" Alex questioned, rubbing tired eyes. Burke propped his weight onto his arm, his grin wiped clean and a look of determination replacing it. The smouldering, icy look that he wore was enough for Alex to consider taking him seriously.

"No, you would have just slunk off and avoided the question."

Alex tensed slightly.

"You really don't want to start a fight with me Burke. Not a nearly 2am."

Burke let out an ill-mannered chuckle, positively infuriating his female companion. "Two in the morning or four in the afternoon. It does not matter. You are irritable and short tempered twenty four seven."

Having nothing to say in her defence, Alex snapped her jaw shut and settle for simple glaring while the man continued: "So, here we go, at last. What is wrong with you?"

If Alex had been a dog, her hackles would have been raised. "It's none of your concern," she stated, her already bad temper kicking into overdrive.

Burke did not take the bait and simply quirked an eyebrow. "On the contrary my love, it is my concern."

The girl snorted at his display of backwards logic. "Oh Really? What makes you think that?" she sneered, her tone brimming with an unbound amount of sarcasm. Burke's face expression twitched slightly but quickly squashed his hostility before it grew out of control.

"Ever since I took you from that cesspool, you've become more and more irritable with each passing day. And I, my dear, have grown quite tired of it," he stated, in a matter-of-fact manner. Alex's hands clenched the sheets to prevent herself from trembling.

It just was not happening.

It just could not be happening.

"So, please enlighten me to the reason that you feel makes this behaviour acceptable?" It was as if Burke had taken a rocket launcher and blown her confidence to pieces. Alex hesitated and bit her lip. She knew she had been more than foolish to think that Burke would continue to allow her hostile behaviour. She had been taking advantage of his waning patience and now had to pay dearly. The man was like a bloodhound; he could sniff out hesitation and always acted accordingly. She had seen him do it countless times; crushing any of his would-be adversaries under a wave of strength but never had Alex imagined that she become a direct victim. It was just not a fate she had envisioned for herself.

"You wouldn't understand," Alex stated naively. She knew she was being an idiot but it was far too late to turn back now.

Burke's eyes sparked dangerously.

"Try me."

Clutching the navy silk sheets between rough fingers, Alex took in an gulp of warm air and attempted to regain some sort of control on the situation.

It was a futile endeavour. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

Burke blinked, his mouth open slightly and surprised at how little coercion it had taken for the girl to fold. "What happened once I had taken my leave of you?"

"I went looking for my dad."

"And?"

"I eventually found him."

Burke's eyes narrowed. He certainly did not like that tone. "What happened then? Please, keep talking."

Alex stared at the man, completely and utterly at a loss for words. She wanted to tell him to shove off; to take his concern and save it for rainy day but she didn't.

In that moment, Alex opened her mouth and let all the past events spill out into a messy, incoherent pile; the GNR situation, tranquillity lane simulation and the death of her father. All of it came out in a mad rush and to a man who did nothing but press her press buttons and pull her levers. If she had not been so mind-bogglingly attracted to him physically, Alex would have packed her bags and left long ago. To his credit, Burke did nothing but listen, letting her talk it all out of her system. Talking was his forte so it was a struggle for the suave man to stay silent. But he persisted and watched several thousand emotions flicker across Alex's face; each more confusing and turbulent than the last. The more he listened, the more her actions and behaviour made sense. She was a melting pot of emotions; threatening to over flow at any moment and scolded those who tried to take her off the heat.

For Alex, confessing her troubles lifted several tonnes off her shoulders. She felt as if she could breathe easy again, like the invisible weight that had been pressing on her chest was lifted. No one had ever asked her how she felt; no one ever wanted to listen since James had died in front of her. It was subject that the more she tried to avoid, the more it plagued her mind. Although she was not crying, tears continued to fall down her cheeks as she talked. Issues that had been clouded since her father had died became crystal clear, The G.E.C.K, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave...Everything suddenly made sense again.

Alex was unsure just how she had ended up burrowed in Burke's arms; nose snuggled into the crook of his neck. A steady, constant hand smoothed out brown locks as gently as her father would.

"Why did not you not inform me?" came his low, baritone voice.

"It's not something I like to brag about."

"That is what I am here for my love. If something troubles you, I trust you enough to know that it must be serious."

A stunned silence stole Alex's voice; a small croak becoming nothing more than a gurgle in her throat. The girl wriggled in his arms slightly to look up at him. At such a close distance, Alex realised that Burke's eyes were more of a grey than a blue; like steel gleaming in the cold morning sky. A spark of blue ice cracked within their depths so fiercely that should have been audible.

Like a flick had been switched somewhere in her brain, Alex grasped Burke's shirt between her fingers and kissed him with all her might. Burke was completely stunned; the object of his fantasies and desires was kissing him again like there was no tomorrow. Recovering, Burke responded eagerly; grasping her small face between his hands. It was as if Burke had unbuckled the girl's restraint and passion; letting all her hostility bleed off. "I'm going back to the Brotherhood tomorrow," she whispered, breaking away from Burke's assault. His fingers tightened slightly, taking care not to leave marks upon her skin.

"Why?"

"Because Elder Lyons was right. I won't let The Enclave have my Dad's work. I'll fight tooth and nail to get it back."

Burke stiffened before answering with complete seriousness that Alex could not doubt his words. "I shall accompany you then."

"Like hell you are," Alex stated, unbuttoning his shirt as if it was the done thing to do in polite conversation.

"Are you going to stop me?" Burke challenged, toying with shortened locks.

"You know I will."

"Yes, of course you will dear" he mocked, working her shirt up her stomach. He hated that ridiculously tight shirt with a vengeance and was more than happy to toss it into the ever growing pile. Burke was not the least bit surprised to find thin, faded scars marring her skin; each one telling their own story. Try as he might, he could not find them the slightest bit ugly. They only seemed to add to her character. "Oh bite me Burke," the girl hissed.

A sinful smile crossed Burke's face.

"With pleasure," he murmured.

He had been in the middle of grasping the edges of Alex's denim jeans when the device on her wrist suddenly spurred to life; flashing a bright scarlet in warning.

"Alright yeh swine, stop it there!"

Burke was sharply startled at the sudden intrusion of a heavy Scottish accent. He looked to Alex, only to find her equally as puzzled. Usually, her Pip-Boy kept quiet when she was with another human and if he needed to communicate, he would just open up his own private channel. Pulling her hand away from sizzling skin, Alex tapped the glowing screen with more force than necessary. "What's your beef?"

"What yeh think yeh are doin'?"

Burke and Alex exchanged smouldering glance. "What do you think I'm doing?" Alex retorted. The Pip-Boy ringed with indignity.

"Yeh are not gonnae do _that_ while I be strapped to yeh wrist!"

The girl reddened to the roots of her hair. "Oh right, I see. Sorry. Burke, give me a hand there. It's a bitch to take off."

Burke shuffled forward slightly and grasped Alex's hand; turning it over slightly to admire the small device. He had never paid it much thought; always figured it was some sort of Vault-Tec watch. Every time he had seen the Pip-Boy, the device was still and listless. Now, when he worked the tight straps and bolts apart, the device buzzed and hummed and flared away as if it were angry. Together, the pair made short work of the bolts and locks on the device. "Secure enough?" Burke asked, cocking an eyebrow. The intrusion of the Pip-Boy had completely spoiled the mood and they both knew it.

Though that was probably his plan all along.

Alex pulled a face. "They didn't like us to take them off. I remember Butch getting hell for trying to take his off once."

"Ah," was all Burke could manage; plum out of words to express his astonishment. Alex fidgeted under his stare; suddenly all too aware that she was missing a shirt and his was full buttoned. Alex released a sigh and reached down to the side of the bed for her shirt. Burke's hand coiled around her outstretched wrist; surprising the girl into stopping. "I'm not done with you just yet." The young woman shivered at the command in his voice. The man had such a direct way of giving orders; demanding utmost obedience from those around him like some twisted drill sergeant.

She wondered briefly if he had ever been in the Enclave.

Alex did not have much time to toy with the idea for Burke squashed her thoughts by jerking her forward onto his lap once again.

Briefly, a wolf howled longingly in the distance.

* * *

"Now, let's try this again shall we? Tell me the code for the Purifier."

"No."

"Why do you insist on being so difficult?"

"You should have left me to die."

The southern man leaned forward on his chair; fingers caressing his 10mm pistol fondly.

"Perhaps your daughter will be more co-operative."

"Leave her out of this. She doesn't know anything."

"Maybe she could be..._persuaded_ into helping us."

Shackles rattled in protest.

"Touch my daughter Autumn and I swear it will be the last thing you ever do."

The colonel leaned forward.

"The code. Now."


	9. Chapter Nine: The Oath

******Greetings my friends from New Zealand. I told you I would update somehow and I managed it. I don't have internet yet so I'm using Wifi Cafes all over the city I'm staying in (Which is called Alexandra btw) Not too much to say about this one, added a new NPC and a bit more twists and turns. Not all of it makes sense so I just figured I would warn ya now. **

**Big thank you to very one who reviewed and wished me goodluck! I know I usually reel off my reviews but my time is limited at the moment. But you know who you are! And you know I Heart you all! **

**Cameo for MysticGohan88's character Adrian Taylor. I was supposed to Beta his latest chapter of "Fallout 3: The Twilight Saint" but as you can imagine, I got distracted with moving and stuff. Sorry again friend!**

* * *

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"She's just like him  
Spoiled rotten  
Confused by the lies she's been fed  
But she's searching for no one  
But herself."  
-Saosin, "You're Not Alone"**

**Chapter Nine: **The Oath.

* * *

Colonel Autumn felt confident that morning. So confident in fact that he was surprised that his head could even fit through the door. It was the day when he would wrestle the code for Project Purity from James Halsey at last. Nothing was going to spoil his day.

Or so he thought.

As he strode through the Sickbay of Raven Rock, Colonel Autumn was intercepted before he could harass James a second time by the most unlikely of individuals.

A woman stood in his path. She was not just any woman for none within Raven Rock would be brave enough to glare at him in such a way. The blonde that stared up at him was the senior doctor for the Raven Rock sickbay. She was rather beautiful; approximately thirty five with thick, honey blonde hair that fell past her shoulders in corkscrew curls. Contrary to the legend of "dumb blondes", the Doctor had bright and intelligent blue eyes. Like every other female within the Enclave, she wore no makeup though in Autumn's opinion, she did not really need it in the slightest. He dared a moment to drop his gaze; combing in her attire. She wore a starched white lab coat over a standard issue Enclave buttoned shirt and fine pair of black trousers. The colonel shot her the tiniest of minuscule grins. She knew better than to wear a skirt when he was prowling the corridors.

"Augustus, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Her tone was crisp, sharp and to the point.

Colonel Autumn's grin faded; slightly disappointed at the hostility in her voice. "I am here to see Mister Halsey."

"Doctor Halsey," the woman corrected.

"Alright then. I am here to see Doctor Halsey. I understand he was moved here during the night."

The blonde doctor dug her hands into the pocket of her lab coat. Her security and ID card jostled into view. The woman's name was Doctor Jennifer Autumn.

"Yes he was. And no, you can't see him."

The man stared, quite taken aback at her sudden open defiance of authority.

"Doctor?"

"You heard me Augustus. James is very sick and I won't allow you to question him in this condition."

"What condition? He was perfectly fine yesterday."

The doctor pointed to the scans and X-rays mounted upon medical light box next to them. The Colonel examined them closely. On the scan labelled as "Halsey, James", was an abnormally large growth on his liver. Autumn was no doctor by any stretch of the imagination but he knew the basics and he was more than certain that such a large shadow did not belong on a liver. "Seems Doctor Halsey has had this growth for a while now. I don't think he told anyone about it. Not that it would have made much difference anyway. There isn't many surgeons in the Wasteland these days."

"I'll be honest Doctor, I find this all very hard to believe."

The blonde woman scowled at him. "Are you suggesting that you know better than I?"

"I would prefer a second opinion."

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "The President agrees with me by the way. He knows the value of keeping James alive and well."

"Jennifer please, I must find out that code for the Purifier. You know how important this is."

Jennifer bravely stuck to her verbal guns. "He is my patient first Augustus, your prisoner second. Once I remove the tumour, you can interrogate him further. That's a fair enough deal right?" she reasoned. Colonel Autumn shot the woman a slanting glance.

"If it is completely necessary then by all means proceed."

"Thank you," Jennifer said as she fiddled with the gold band around her ring finger. Autumn glanced down at his hand and stared at the identical ring on his own finger. Though it was hardly the time nor place, Colonel Autumn asked the question they had both been thinking.

"What happened to us Jennifer? Everything was going so well." His question sounded more like a statement to the doctor.

The woman released a sigh and glanced behind her cautiously; like a teenager sneaking out a bedroom window. With the rest of her medical team otherwise engaged, Jennifer turned back the silver haired Colonel. "You know what happened. Your squads are out there hunting down my niece like she is some of criminal. How could you have expected me to be fine with that? In fact, how could you be fine with that?" she questioned.

Colonel Autumn grimaced. That was what had happened between him and his wife of five wonderful years. It amazing that he had forgotten that in the first place. James Halsey's wife was once Catherine Hammond, sister to Jennifer Hammond (Now Autumn) thus making Alexandra Halsey her niece.

And in a sense, she was his niece as well. And of course, Jennifer had kept it a secret until she had mentioned that James Halsey wife had been her sister.

"You act as if I had a choice in the matter. You know I am sworn to serving the President."

Jennifer folded her arms.

"A loyal lapdog to the end so it seems," she stated boldly.

"Careful Jennifer, be very careful," Colonel Autumn warned.

The blonde doctor shot him a look that he did not like in the slightest.

"Control! This is Delta!" buzzed his eardrum. The Colonel tapped the small, radio transmitter embedded in his ear. Jennifer released a heartfelt sigh and tapped her heeled foot against the plating of the floor. Autumn ignored her.

"Go ahead Delta."

"Colonel Sir, reconnaissance has tracked down Halsey kid."

"Where is she?"

"Well Sir, the tracker on the dog lead us to believe she was residing in Tenpenny Tower. Intel from the inside has confirmed it Sir, she is most defiantly there."

"Good work soldier."

"With your permission Sir, I'd like to take Delta squad in and retrieve her now. We have a Tachikoma in our unit Sir."

"Negative soldier. I want you to simply watch for her, and follow her if necessary."

"Sir?"

"Presidents orders boy."

"Of course Sir. Delta out." The radio cut off with a low pitched hum.

Colonel Autumn turned back to his wife. "Delta have found her with assistance from our undercover."

Jennifer let out a small grunt. "Yes, I heard."

The rest of the medical staff could not help but stare at the event unfolding before their very eyes. Colonel Autumn knew it and moved quickly to contain the situation. If his wife desired to play hardball, Colonel Autumn was more than game. "She will not be harmed," Autumn lied through his teeth. In all probability, the Halsey girl would most likely end up dead if she were as uncooperative as her sire.

She clicked her teeth. "Your promises don't count for very much these days Augustus. Now, If there is nothing else Colonel, excuse me," Jennifer remarked before stepping around the overbearing man in her dainty little heels. Autumn watched her disappear into her office. He could have had her thrown in the brig for such disrespect. He was well within his rights to though he doubted that Jennifer would have been contained long. Technically, she was not in the Enclave Armed Forces. Her department was entirely separate so there was very little point in such a fruitless endeavour.

Autumn turned to face the medical staff. "Carry on then."

With a melodramatic swirl of his tanned overcoat that was not completely necessary, the silver haired Colonel turned and stalked out of the Medical bay and headed off in the direction of the Shooting Range.

_Alright then Captain William Burke. Let us see where your loyalites lie._

His departure left the entire Sickbay humming like a provoked beehive.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **08:14**  
Current Date**: 22/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Tenpenny Tower.

Burke had awake for quite some time before Alex eventually stirred. It had been the sensation of fingers working through her hair that had awoken Alex to begin with. The girl screwed her eyes shut and snuggled closer to her living, breathing pillow; sapping his heat like a sort of over-grown leech. As she dozed between the sides of the dreaming and waking realm, Alex remembered _where_ exactly she was and more importantly, _what _exactly she had been doing.

It did not leave much to the imagination.

"I know you are awake," rumbled Burke's voice. The girl frowned against pale chest and tipped her messy haired head up slightly. Steel clashed with Jade and for a few moments, nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. They had both made their feelings perfectly clear on the matter already. "Good morning," the man managed his liquid smooth voice unusually hoarse.

The girl inhaled sharply and took in the smell of sex, sweat and musk all in one go. "Morning," Alex replied, unsure what to say as her cheeks glowed red beneath her suntan. The man yawned; raising a hand to cover his mouth as he did so because Mister Burke was just so very polite.

"Did you sleep well?"

Alex's brows furrowed. "Is that a trick question?"

Burke responded by stroking the exposed skin on the brunette's back. "Hmm, I feel a bit peckish actually," he announced. Alex's stomach answered the call and rumbled loudly in response.

"Me too." was Alex's reply. She rolled off her makeshift pillow and allowed Burke to bundle up a mess of discarded clothing. He held up Alex's overalls to the light; lips curved in disgust.

"You actually wear this?" he asked with obvious distaste; eyeing the denim overalls as if they had personally wronged him.

Alex scowled. "I do actually." Burke chanced a feline grin; that painfully seductive smile that always had his lips quirked upwards slightly and one canine slightly visible.

"If I had known this particular scenario would occur then I would have arranged for something more appropriate. I shall make sure to correct that oversight myself," he stated. Jade eyes rolled in Alex's head. "Get your mind out of the gutter," she retorted.

Burke did not miss a beat "It is too late for that my love," he responded. Alex ignored him and hauled a hand through russet locks; feeling the lingering grease upon her hair. "I need a bath or something. I'm filthy," she groaned.

The man grinned and opened his mouth to say something suggestive when a sharp glare from the girl shut him up. "Would you mind buggering off for a while?" Alex asked, tugging the overalls from the clutches of her male companion.

Burke arched an eyebrow. "Are you ordering me about in my own home? I had thought you would have had more manners than this," the man remarked as he slipped his belt through the notch of his pinstripe trousers.

"Well you thought wrong then. Go down and get some food. I'll be out in ten minutes."

Burke slipped his jacket back on and straightened his tie. "If you must."

The young woman snorted in response. "Would you prefer it if I smelt and looked like a dumpster?"

"Of course not."

"Well then."

Mister Burke shrugged carelessly and picked up his discarded hat and sunglasses from the table nearby. He was at the apartment front door when he suddenly turned around and called through to his female companion. "Alex, there are some fresh clothes in the spare dresser."

It was not until the click of the door closing announcing Burke's departure did Alex slink from the bed. Jade eyes crawled about the surrounding room; locating stray bits of clothing that had been strewn about the room in Alex's unexpected fit of passion. She left them where they had landed and foraged in the dresser opposite the bed. The girl fished out a pair of denim jeans, slightly worn but still wearable. Folded beneath were two ammo belts, a knee length duster coat and white vest shirt. Next to the chest of drawers were boots Alex had taken to be Burke's, only to find that the boots were five sizes too small to be his.

Alex padded through into the bathroom that could have easily passed for a sauna. Burke was one of the few who owned such a bathtub and had boasted about it on many occasions. The water ran surprisingly quickly and Alex made sure to turn the water as hot as it would go; grinning all the while since Burke was the one who would be forced to pay the extra water charge. Alex shot a glance over her shoulder, making sure that the elusive man wasn't peeping on her before she entered the tub.

Not that he had a reason to peep any longer. He had seen it all already and it was a fact that Alex was attempting to ignore.

* * *

By the time Alex had plodded down the corridor and went down the elevator, Burke and Gustavo had been having a rather loud debate. Alex fluffed her wet locks and straightened out her jacket before she approached them,

"So, what do should we do with him then?"

"Where is he?"

"Tied up outside. Caught the little bastard trying to steal some Brahmin."

"I will have a talk with Alex about him."

"About who?" came an intrusive, feminine voice.

The chief turned and rolled his eyes as the teenager from Vault 101 came swaggering in. Gustavo really did hate the girl; the bane of his existence and the constant thorn in his side. Ever since she had shown up with Burke out of the blue near enough three weeks previously, Alex had done nothing but push his buttons and pulls on his levers; testing her limits and his temper. She was a skilled enough mechanic, that he was man enough to admit, but she had the temperament of a Deathclaw. Gustavo remembered roaring with laughter when Tenpenny had thought Alex was a boy at first. It had been certainly easy to make such an assumption – oversized overalls did nothing for her. However, the rest of the security department had been all but drooling when she arrived. Skills and attractiveness had been rolled into one little handful of a package. Gustavo considered it a dire shame that Burke had labelled her off limits before she had even stepped through the expensive, double doors of Tenpenny Tower.

However, the moment she had opened her mouth, Chief Gustavo had taken an instant dislike towards her. Underneath that confidence and hardass attitude, she was really just a spoilt child that had somehow managed to win favour with Burke. Unlike the rest of the security team, Gustavo had not been impressed and made his feelings clear on the matter.

Alex and Burke shared a sizzling glance above the head of the other man. Chief Gustavo stiffened slightly when the situation suddenly became crystal clear. Despite her attempts of scrubbing, the girl had not managed to shift that tang of sweat and sex that still lingered about her.

"What's going on here?"

Burke looked to Gustavo. " "

Alex snorted and leaned on the reception desk. "What? Couldn't handle a little puppy?"

The chief of security glared daggers at the young woman. "Watch it Halsey."

The lone wanderer rose to the challenge; itching to rattle Gustavo's cages. "Or what Gustavo?"

Gustavo smirked and eyed her outfit as he took a different approach to the woman. "Tell me Halsey, do you charge by the hour or can you get some sort of package deal."

He touched a nerve. "Fuck you Gustavo," she snapped.

"Anytime, anywhere, anyplace."

Burke smoothly intervened before the fists begun to fly. "Enough Alex. If you cannot resist provoking him then I suggest you return to our room."

"Sorry." The girl did not sound sorry in the slightest. "So where is this dog? You aren't going to shoot him are you?"

Burke waved his hand. "No, of course not my love. I would never do such a thing. Maybe you should go out and see him. He might seem somewhat familiar to you."

Alex's heart skipped a beat – or perhaps several. "Burke?"

The man smirked his seductively smooth smile and jerked his head towards to double doors of Tenpenny Tower. "Go. See for yourself."

The young woman did not need telling twice. Burke suddenly met her denim clad back and watched her bound off. Burke's grin waned into a softer one. It had been a while since he had seen Alex so very happy. In fact, he had it on good authority that the girl had been rarely happy since she had left Vault 101. He toyed with the idea that perhaps their exchange had been the cause of her suddenly case of euphoria.

It had certainly caused his good mood.

Besides the suited man, Gustavo let out a small cough. "So, you and the Halsey kid?"

Burke rounded onto him; every disposition ready to cut him down. "She is anything but a child Gustavo."

Gustavo raised his hand in an attempt at peace. "Hey hey, I didn't say anything. I just figured she was a bit young for you."

A defensive snarl found Burke's face. He needed to nip the gossip in the bud before it spread throughout the tower like wild fire. "Need I remind you Chief Gustavo that whatever may occur within my apartment between myself and Alex is entirely _our_ business."

Perspiration shimmered on Gustavo's forehead. Burke was terrifying enough when he was calm but he was a completely different story if he were angry. The eyes would flash, the teeth would snarl and his words would slice those who opposed him to ribbons. "Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest anything."

Burke smiled as the situation slipped back into his control. "Good. Let us keep it that way shall we?"

"Of course. You still need those supplies put into your jeep?"

"Yes. As soon as possible please," the man responded before turning on the Chief of security and heading out of the double doors of Tenpenny Tower. It was not until Burke had followed his female companion did Gustavo release the breath of air he did not know he had been holding. The man known only as Mister Burke had that effect on people. He was commanding, demanding self important businessman. Gustavo wondered briefly what exactly the girl from Vault 101 actually saw in him.

Or vice versa.

Not that Chief Gustavo could blame Burke. Whether or not she knew it, Alex was quite an attractive girl in her own right.

Shame she never knew when to shut up.

**

* * *

**

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **09:05**  
Current Date**: 22/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Tenpenny Tower.

When Alex dropped to the ground, the furry creature followed her; nuzzling against the small mechanic for all he was worth. His tail flapped in the breeze, his bounce alive and his barks were jollily joyful. Equally as happy, Alex's hand found his dirty though comforting fur; pulling her canine friend into a hug. She had left so very lost and lonely without him by her side, without his guidance and protection.

"Good boy," Alex cooed into his fur and the dog barked back happily. The girl's hand groped her dog gently as she looked for any injuries he may have sustained. Only skin and bones met her hands; nothing hanging lumps of skin and slivers of fat. His once powerful and strong muscles had become as withered and shrunken as irradiated tree husks. Unbeknownst to the girl, her hand brushed and lingered twice on the small, tracker device.

The pair lay for several moments in the fresh snow fall, collecting their thoughts until they were disturbed by one Mister Burke.

Alex sat up upright to get a better look at the man, "Burke, I don't think you should –" her protests were silenced by a slim, pale finger pressing against her lip; demanding her complete and total attention.

"My love, you escaped me once before. I will not allow that to happen a second time," Burke stated, eyes glowing in a manner Alex nor anyone else had ever seen. It was a look hot enough to burn right through her flesh and dissolve away any thought of a protest. The smaller girl heaved a sigh and leaned back on her hands in the snow; suppressing a shiver as the cold seeped through her skin as easily as his stare.

"There is just no winning with you is there?" she asked with a somewhat guarded smile.

Mister Burke smiled his assertive, smug grin that used to make Alex want to tug her hair out. "Never."

"It will be dangerous."

"Nothing that I cannot handle."

"We could end up being killed."

Burke looked at Alex as if he considered her to be some sort of killjoy. "You always have to spoil my fun."

The girl sat up properly; no longer leaning on the back of her hands. Alex stared him straight in the eye, a task and a half since liquid steel was still bubbling in his stare.

"We would need a lot of supplies."

"Already done."

"And your jeep."

"I have already charged the batteries myself."

"And Tenpenny would have to agree to let you leave."

"I assure you my dear, Mister Tenpenny already knows."

Alex let out a low whistle. "Geez Burke, you don't mess around do you?"

The said man rose fluidly from the snow covered ground and offered the young woman his hand. "Not in the slightest my love."

Burke's "love" ignored the offending hand and pushed herself up instead. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you," Alex snapped back, staring at the man squarely in the eye; visibly sizing him up though there was little point in doing so. Burke dropped his head slightly and stared right back, eyes a constant fire that the girl had no quite grown accustomed to seeing.

"You are doing it again." His voice dropped an octave or two.

The small woman jerked her head to one side. "Doing what?" she enquired, already dreading the answer.

"You are becoming defensive again," he responded before softening his gaze somewhat "I am not your enemy Alex. There is no need to treat me like one."

Alex rubbed her eyes with a gloved hand. "Listen Burke, I'm sorry. I'm just a little tired is all."

The man stepped forward and captured one gloved hand; giving a squeeze for good measure. "There is no need to apologise my dear. I know that this is indeed a hard time for you," he soothed, dipping his head slightly so he could rest his cheek on a nest of fresh, russet locks. Alex leaned into his hold, chancing a few moments peace.

Is was not until Dogmeat butted against Burke's leg did Alex break the embrace. "You getting jealous boy?" she asked, pulling one hand away to stroke his furry head.

The dog sat on his hind legs and pawed the air. Her male companion regarded him for a moment. "Does he have a name?"

Alex pursed her lips in thought. "I don't think he would like it if I named him," she stated as if the sentence made perfect sense.

"I assume that he is coming with us?"

The young woman nodded and ruffled the dog head once again. Although the dog responded to his master's affection, a pair of mismatched eyes bore into Mister Burke with such a fierce intensity; regarding him as unworthy for his master's attention. Dogmeat had once liked the tailless one his sister had called "Mister Burke," the human with shaded, alluring eyes brighter than any star and a mouth that could leak silver. Not now. He was an outsider to their pack; a stranger that had somehow won favour with his sibling.

Dogmeat decided that he did not like the furless male anymore.

He was about to voice his concerns when his stomach suddenly roared loud enough for the furless ones to hear.

Alex looked down at her hairy friend then shifted her gaze to Burke. "He needs some food. Feels like he hasn't eaten in a while."

"I shall get on that at once."

"Thanks Burke. Remember no Mirelurk, he hates that stuff"

"A fussy dog? What is next?" he remarked.

Alex's lips fixed themselves into a smirk. "He is my dog after all."

"But of course. When do you wish to depart?" he questioned, trying and failing to ignore the glare of the dog.

The girl's stare hardened. "As soon as possible. I need to get a G.E.C.K before The Enclave do. They have all my Dad's notes on the subject. They'll figure it out eventually," Alex explained, her resolve equally as stiff as her stare. Mister Burke lifted his expensive, tortoiseshell glasses to rub his eyelids.

"It is only because I care for you this much that I am willing to do this for you," the great negotiator stated.

Alex's hand found his shoulder. "I know. And I appreciate it. I really do. I didn't think anyone in the Wasteland actually cared for me anymore."

Pale fingers laced themselves through Alex's hand; stroking her knuckles. "Never think that ever again." Whatever effect he was looking for worked because Alex was forced to suck a breath of cold air in order to prevent herself from ravishing him on the spot. Beside her, the husky dog whined in protest; disappointed that he was being ignored. Alex's Pip-Boy swirled away, equally disgruntled that the girl was paying them both no attention.

"Can we go now?" she asked, her heart hammering so loudly against her chest that Burke should have been able to hear it.

"Did you not want breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm starving."

A smile more wicked that a Super Mutant found a place of Burke's face. "Perhaps I can assist you there," he responded, implications thick upon his voice.

The young woman snorted and playfully attempted to push him away (though she might have well have been pushing away a granite statue)

"You're unbelievable sometimes Burke."

"I try my best."

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **12:09**  
Current Date**: 22/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Tenpenny Tower.

Alex dropped the last crate into the back of the jeep and popped the catch open to view the contents. Several hundred microfusion cells stared right back at her; their aluminium casing one of the most comforting sights she had seen in quite some time. Nothing was more foreboding than being out of ammo. In front of the boot of the vehicle, Dogmeat had taken up the back two seats and was perfectly content to watch Alex and Burke darted about getting the Jeep loaded with supplies.

Right at that moment, Burke appeared by Alex's side and slid a smaller crate in next to the ammo. Unlike Alex, Burke had taken to labelling his boxes. The neat stamp "Provisions" with his swirly, articulate print that was hard to miss. Alex withdrew a silvery, thick packet and eyed it with distaste. It looked extremely unappetising, just a lumpy package and nothing else.

She turned and held it to Burke. "What is this exactly?" she asked.

Burke looked at Alex as if she were being intentionally dense. "Dehydrated food. I assume that you do not want to starve?"

"Not really, no, I don't."

"Well then."

The girl turned the back packet over and skimmed through the fine printed instructions for Vault-Tec standard issue mashed potato and peas. "I didn't think these were still about the Wasteland. Where did you get them?"

Burke took the packet from her hands and tapped Alex's nose playfully. "I have my sources my dear." Though his smile was friendly, his tone was cold and effectively ended the conversation.

The teenager's brow wrinkled in recollection. "My Vaults had those. I hated them then and I still hate them now," she remarked, sliding into the leather passenger seat. Burke jumped into the drivers and slid the key back home. "Did your father not ever tell you to eat your vegetables?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Burke regretted them several times over. To his great surprise, Alex's lips quirked upwards into a small smile. "You wouldn't believe what I used to do get out eating my greens. I even went as far as to bin the stuff I hated when he was out. The Overseer was not impressed when my dad requested more rations," Alex responded.

The tires of Burke's jeep had rolled off pristine concrete and slid onto icy Wasteland gravel. "Perhaps if you had eaten your vegetables, you would not be so...vertically challenged."

Alex's pride prickled. "I'm not short, I am just compact," she stated.

Burke let out a mirthful chuckle. "Yes, I sure you are. Now, tell me about your father." The truth was that Mister Burke knew very well what Alex's father was like and while he did not much care for the man, he could respect him.

As they rolled and slid towards the Capital D.C ruins, Alex was silent for several minutes; trying to figure out how to sum up her father is so very few words. It was not until Burke rolled over a particularly large boulder were the words knocked from Alex's mouth.

"He was an amazing man, very clever and caring. He raised me on his own and did his best to try and protect me from The Enclave. I couldn't have asked for a better dad," she said finally. Burke's knuckles grew very tight and white around the steering wheel.

"What exactly was The Enclave looking for?" Burke questioned carefully.

Alex's jaw tightened and jade eyes darkened into a glare.

"Isn't it obvious? They wanted my dad's work. They want Project Purity," the teenager snapped back. Dogmeat growled loudly in the backseat; making his presence known to both parties

The man frowned at her hostility and battled his own back. "Of course. Forgive my ignorance."

Alex released a sign and lifted her eyes onto the horizon of the D.C ruins. The cold afternoon sky had brought shades of greying blue filtering through the breaks in the snow clouds. It was a mixture of blues and greys that would have been pretty in a different time. Jade eyes watched hills and rubble suddenly knit tighter together as they approached the outer perimeter of the Capital. A jerk of the jeep front wheels changed their direction considerably and before long, the spray of murky brown water was left in their wake; indicating that they had reached the shore of the Potomac River.

While Alex was deep fried in a sulk, the welcoming sight of the Citadel winked into view on the shoreline. After another ten or more miles, Burke slowly killed the engine to nothing more than a simple crawl. Alex sat up properly in her seat. They were about a kilometre or two away from the Citadel. Burke was watching the place as if he expected a Super Behemoth to burst out the heavily armed doors any second.

"I dare not go any further Alex."

For once, Alex kept her mouth shut and did not quest him. His tone alone (coupled with his facial expression) killed her enquires. Alex swivelled around her in chair to face her furry friend.

"Be a good boy and stay here with Burke" she cooed, clipping the child safety lock off the passenger door. Dogmeat jerked his head and for a moment, Alex was sure she saw those mismatched eyes roll back in his head. The man in the driver's seat leaned on the steering wheel, watching Alex walk up to the iron doors with all the intensity of a hawk. Even several feet away, Alex felt his stare rivet to his back.

The same soldier she had seen nearly a month ago was standing in the same position and wielding the same weapon. He glowered when Alex approached.

"Hello Halsey." There was nothing nice about the way he said Alex's surname; like a disease or infection that required eradicating.

Alex plastered a sweetly venomous smile upon her face.

"You not dead yet?"

"Unfortunately for you, no."

The teenager toed a nearby rock in deceptive innocence. "Maybe I could do something about that," she stated coolly.

Metal clad hands poised around the Mini Gun tightened considerably but the Brotherhood Knight maintained his composure. "I'm flattered that you've come all this way to insult me. So, what do you want?"

"Actually, there is. I need to speak to Elder Lyons."

The Knight narrowed his eyes to a point where he could barely see. "Changed your mind about helping us?"

"I'm not helping Brotherhood, I'm avenging my dad."

"Whatever floats your boat. But I'll clue you in this one time. People around here don't like you."

"Well I don't like them so we both win."

"You're walking a fine line Halsey. If it wasn't for Elder Lyons giving you pardon to enter the Citadel, I would have put you down myself."

The girl leaned stepped forward and folded her arms. "Is that a threat Knight?"

"You're gods damned right it is."

"You know where to find me then," she stated, practically inviting the Knight to take a swing at her.

To Alex's great disappointment, the Brotherhood Knight simply glowered hatefully at the teenager but waved her forward. The gates slid upwards again and gold sparks rained down once more.

Inside the Citadel, things had not really changed while she had been gone. The turrets still functioned. Patrols were still active. Initiates still sparred in the courtyard. The ruins of the Spider Mechs still lay in the scrap heap and Elder Lyons still kept a watchful eye on the going-ons of his soldiers.

He had been talking to a young Initiate when Alex approached; walking like a woman sent into battle. She arrived just in time to catch the remainder of the conversation.

"Well done Taylors. Thanks to your efforts, a Super Mutant encampment now lies in ruins. Very well done for an Initiate. Your service to the Brotherhood of Steel has not gone unnoticed. I will forward a recommendation to your superior officer noting your heroism."

The young Initiate smiled and bowed his mop of messy hair. "Thank you sir. I appreciate it."

Alex was quite startled. It was common knowledge to most that Brotherhood of Steel Initiates were never regarded much respect from superior officers and it was a rare sight indeed to see Elder Lyons speaking to a young officer with such pride and admiration in his voice. Alex surveyed the young man with interest, wondering what exactly he possessed that made him stand out so. He could not have been too much older than her, bordering on twenty one at the most. Like most people, he was vastly taller than Alex and weighed twice her bodyweight in lean muscles alone.

"No my boy, Thank you. You saved many of your Brothers and Sisters today with that feat you pulled."

Elder Lyons suddenly turned and noticed Alex for the first time. His lips crinkled into a smile, clearly not the least bit surprised that she had shown up again. The Initiate noticed too and tactfully took his leave; chancing a very small smile as he left.

"Ah Miss Halsey. I believe Scribe Rothschild is the one whom you should seek. He will be in the Lab at the moment."

Alex felt quite off balance at the developments. "Elder Lyon, about before –"

The old man held up one wrinkled hand. "You do not need to explain yourself. We were asking too much of you too soon. I understand that you required time to heal."

An uneasy smile found Alex's face. "Well, thanks."

"Now that things have been cleared up, I must go and see Sarah. Excuse me."

It did not take long for Alex to locate the lab of the Brotherhood of Steel and she would have been shocked if she had someone missed it. The room was large, every surface and desk covered with equipment; every light blinking back at her. Many Scribes dressed in dark red robes scuttled like crabs about the room; each Scribe assigned to a specific task. In the centre of the room stood a massive mechanical giant of epic proportion; like something out of an old Holovideo. The breath escaped Alex's lungs are she stared up at the robot as though Christmas had come early. Although it was offline, the Mech was no less spectacular to the woman.

"He's a beauty isn't he?"

Alex twisted around and met who she could only assume was Scribe Rothschild. "He?"

The man smiled slightly and looked towards the robot with admiration. "Liberty Prime. Built for the liberation of Alaska. But he wasn't finished before the war started"

"Where did you find it?"

The Scribe motioned to the room around them. "Here, In the ruins of the Pentagon, many years ago."

"Are you Scribe Rothschild?" asked Alex. The man dipped his head into a nod.

"Yes I am. And I know who you are Miss Halsey. And I'm honoured to say that I knew your father as well."

The girl stared "You knew my dad?"

"I was acquainted with him many years ago. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome. The world lost one of its few remaining visionaries that day," he remarked sadly.

"So, I hear that you're the one I need to talk to about finding a G.E.C.K," Alex asked, hastily changing the subject. Tactfully, the Scribe picked up her aversion to the issue of her father and turned around to the mess of tapes and disks on a table behind him. He eventually found what he was looking for and handed Alex a labelled holotape.

"When you left, I had everything I knew about the G.E.C.K and the location downloaded into this tape for when you changed your mind."

"How did you know?"

"You possess that same desire to make changes. Your father had the same."

The girl let out a small laugh, eyeing the man. "I'm not what you think I am."

Scribe Rothschild arched an eyebrow. "No? Then why have you returned?"

Alex clenched her fists, furious at the fact that she had no real idea why exactly she had come back. If she said Revenge then she would have been lying. Everything had made sense the night before but suddenly, the truth was as blurred and cloudy as the Potomac River. "I thought I knew," Alex answered candidly.

The Scribe shook the tape again. "Life, just like the future, is uncertain. When the time comes, you'll know what to do."

Though the sentence made little sense to the teenager, it did succeed in making her feel a little better.

"I have no idea what that means but it sounds very impressive," she remarked. For a moment, Alex let her eyes wander about the Lab; noting points of interest here and there before she came to an abrupt halt on a pile of metal on an examination table that looked oddly familiar. Yes, there was indeed no mistaking that spider-like head and legs.

"Rothschild, what is that exactly?" Alex pointed towards the messy mound. The Scribe turned to the indicated table and picked up a piece of the Mech; holding it up to the light.

"Intel has determined that they are called _Tachikomas, _The Enclave latest creation in Artificial Intelligence and Combat. They are the most advanced piece of machinery I have ever seen. "

Alex thumbed through the wreckage of the robot. "I saw some of these when they attacked Project Purity."

"Yes, I received reports that they were there. They have been appearing all over the Wasteland for nearly a month now. What I wouldn't give to just get one of them completely intact."

"You don't have any?"

Rothschild shook his head. "Nothing but scrap. From what we can tell, every time a unit is destroyed on the field, the chip in the main processing cortex is removed."

"Why?" Alex questioned.

"I have no idea. All the reports say that when a _Tachikoma_ unit is disable in combat, the priorities of the squad change. The Enclave always make sure to take the chip out before they abandon the unit. I think the chip they remove houses the memories and experiences of the A.I. I have even heard of squads blowing up _Tachikomas_ that are too badly damaged after removing the chip"

"Sounds like something The Enclave would do, destroying their own tech so you couldn't have it."

"Indeed it is."

"Well, I should probably go now. You say everything is in this Holotape?"

"Yes. Anything remotely related to the G.E.C.K should be contained within that tape."

"Thanks, I'll keep you posted."

"You are most welcome."

Alex smiled. Maybe the Brotherhood of Steel was not so bad after all.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **17:34**  
Current Date**: 22/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Unable to verify.

"You're lost aren't you?"

Burke shot Alex a glare. "No, I know exactly where I am going."

"I told you we should have stopped and asked for directions."

"I highly doubt many people know where Little Lamplight is."

"You never know."

"What is it with woman and asking directions?"

"What is it with men and not asking for directions?"

Burke said nothing in response and simply kept his eyes on the Wasteland in front of him. Alex was sickening smug in the passenger's seat next to him, staring out the window. They had been bickering since they had departed from the Citadel; each had won their fair share of victory and defeat over the course of the evening.

Does your radio work?" Alex indicated to the dials on the bonnet.

Burke nodded; hints of pride in his stare. "Yes, I spent much time and effort getting it fixed up."

The girl reached out and twiddled with the dial, only to be interrupted by the irritated flashing of her Pip-Boy.

"Why dinnae you just use me Lass?" The glowing of his red screen was unmistakable.

"Because then Burke can't hear." the girl responded. The said man shot the Pip-Boy one of his patented smirks.

"Oh, I see." Alex did not care for his tone in the slightest and certainly made her feeling clear on the matter.

"Don't get like that with me." For her ignorance, the Pip-Boy decided to pay no heed to her. The teenager released yet another sigh and continued to fondle the small dials on the makeshift radio. The radio crackled and spat as it searched for a connection within the fuzz of the static. Then, the radio picked up a man's voice speaking:

"..._Maybe you've got a makeshift purifier that cleans one glass of dirty water a day. Or you sip on an ancient faucet in an abandoned subway restroom."_

"What is that?"

"Shh."

"_But that's not really living is it? You're simply existing America. Postponing death for a day or two. Well I'm going to tell you right here, right now. Those days are over. America is back and we've bought clean water with us."_

Alex's face turned to the colour of pale mushrooms, dreading where the conversation was driving. "_For years, The Enclave have been working hard on the most ambitious scientific project the world has ever seen. Project Purity!"_

The body of the teenager moved before her brain could comprehend what happened. In a complete fit of rage, Alex's hand found the spare pistol in her jacket pocket. Before Burke or the Pip-Boy could stop her, Alex aimed at the radio and pulled the trigger. A single bullet exploded from the handgun and found a home amongst the wiring of Burke's radio. The signal from the Enclave was cut and sparks and pops were all that was spat from the radio. The jeep screeched to a halt and Burke rounded onto the young woman. But Alex did not seem to have noticed him. She sat, russet locks shadowing over her face, in the leather seat; panting and hating The Enclave to a point of passion.

"That...son of a bitch...I'll kill him," Alex managed to breathe out through hateful, constricted lungs. Burke, however, was too furious over that fact that Alex had destroyed his radio to feel sympathy for her.

"Why did you do that? Do you have any idea how long it took for me to construct that?"

Alex bristled defensively, poised and was ready to strike. "They were damn well taking credit for my dad's work. I couldn't stand it."

"And that justifies destroying my property?"

"I had to shut him up somehow."

Burke let out a mirthless laugh, only adding fuel to the fire of Alex's rage.

"Just admit it my dear. You overreacted."

The very thought that she had overreacted simply did not occur to the young woman. And even if it had, Alex would have been too livid to care. "If you had any idea what had happened at Project Purity, you would have done the same."

"I understand but you – "

Alex did not even let him finish. "No you don't understand in the slightest. You think that just because you fuck me, you know me. Well you don't!" she snapped boldly before reaching for the door handle and clicking it open. Alex swung her legs around and jumped from the large jeep, trying to put as much distance between herself and Burke until she cooled off.

But Mister Burke was not a man to be trifled with. His glare darkened into a storm and when Alex stormed from the car, he followed with frazzled nerves. His reflexes were so much more adept than Alex's. He closed the distance and all but pounced on her; coiling one large hand around Alex's scrawny, bare wrist. The girl looked down sharply at the offending hand. "Let. Me. Go Burke," Alex breathed, her glare having no obvious effect on the man. Burke's grip tightened.

"Do not walk away from me when we are trying to have a conversation," he warned his tone so wickedly dangerous that not even Alex dared to provoke him further.

"I'm not gonna ask you again."

Burke opened his mouth to reply when suddenly, an electrical current surged from Alex so quickly and fiercely that Burke was forced to release her. The currents jumped from her body into his; shocking him with nearly forty or fifty Volts of electricity. Burke looked towards the human fusebox, only to find her equally as confused. On Alex's wrist, the culprit flashed bright red; as if goading Burke to try again. Alex stole her opportunity and ran back towards a series of rock formations that she assumed were deserted; slipping and sliding on the ice all the while.

Burke did not follow and watched the female disappear behind a nearby pile of rock a good few yards away. He did not bother to chase her, knowing that he was too far in the doghouse to risk attempting to follow her. A curse escaped his lips; mentality scolding himself for making such a mess of the situation. Burke knew he should have let her go in the first place and allowed his overly zealous female time to cool off. As the seconds ticked by, Burke calmed his mental storm and took deep, soothing breaths; filling his brain with cool, calm oxygen. He took solace in the fact that Alex would eventually return to him once her anger was depleted.

The man turned back to the truck and met the mismatched, narrowed eyes of Dogmeat staring at him through the glass of the backseat windows.

It suddenly occurred to Mister Burke that the dog was glaring at him. One did not have to be a genius to know why.

Burke slid into the jeep to examine the remains of his radio. "The nerve of that woman," he muttered darkly to himself, poking the radio hesitantly. A dial sprung out and shot forward into the backseat

Dogmeat growled in warning.

The man turned to the dog. "Do not test my temper dog. She started this feud. She destroyed my radio and did not even apologise for it," Burke exclaimed, still feeling quite livid.

Dogmeat cocked his fluffy head to the side, staring at Burke as if to say: _Yeah, I know. I was there_. A seventy pound sigh escaped Burke's chest as he rubbed his temples in weariness.

He was simply getting too old for such nonsense.

* * *

Not too far away from the Jeep, hidden behind a rock formation, Alex continued to spit venom and fire (Much to the dismay of her Pip-Boy)

"That jerk! Doesn't he understand at all?"

"Calm doown little lassie," Her Pip-Boy soothed. The girl kicked a nearby boulder with a booted toe.

The Pip-Boy suddenly stilled as Alex ranted and started to scan the surrounding area.. In the commotion, he had not bothered to check to see if the location was secure. His sensors suddenly flashed in warning as he picked up a large, hostile target not too far away from their position. Though it was stationary, he doubted that it would be for much longer.

"I fell in love with those broad shoulders, I just didn't realise there wasn't anything sitting on top!"

"Alex!"

"I mean really, how did he expect me to react?! Yeah, maybe I went a little overboard but still!"

"Alex! Shut yeh gob and listen!"

The girl's mouth shut with a perceptible snap.

Rounding a large gravel and granite rock several feet to the left was a terrifying sight that chilled Alex right down to the marrow in her bones. The creature stood at least seven feet tall and covered with thick, tanned. Two sharp, ivory coloured horns spiked out from the certain of the beast's head. Cold, alien eyes stared in her direction; watching for any twitch or movement. Large jaws were set apart and dripping streams and rivers of saliva; pooling on the ground beneath the creature. The only thing were terrifying than the gaping jaws or predatorily eyes were the huge claws attached to the beasts hand. Each claw was at least half Alex's height and sharp enough to revert steel to ribbons.

"Deathclaw," Alex whispered, completely paralysed at sight of the Deathclaw. It did not make sense, They were supposed to be in hibernation. The creature suddenly jerked its head, looking for the sound again. It looked to both sides then stepped forward; sniffing the air intently. The ground trembled beneath the creature and it suddenly roared furiously again; tossing its head and snorting loudly. Alex was waiting for the creature to charge; waiting for him to throttle the life out of her.

Then a stray thought suddenly struck Alex.

_It can't see me because I'm not moving._

The teenager stilled against the rock; her heart bouncing around inside her chest. She was unable to do anything else but stay perfectly motionless. Blood pulsed violently to every part of Alex's body; responding to the terror she felt. She had no weapons to speak of and she could not risk alerting Burke without the creature detecting her.

Cold ice flooding into the base of her skull was the only indication that it was not a dream. _Move lass!_

_It will kill me if I do!_

_It will kill yeh if you don't!_

_I can't. My body just won't move._

_What yeh mean your body won't move?_

_I want to move but I just can't._

_Alright lassie, hold on. I'm gonna get yeh out of this mess._

"Combat Override Initiated," The Pip-Boy spoke through his speakers. At that moment, Alex felt as if someone had just pushed her over. Ice speared through the bottom of her skull and seeped through an invisible wound and right into her veins. Alex wanted to open her mouth to scream but her mouth, nor the rest of her body, would respond. When she blinked, the green illumination of V.A.T.S blanketed across her eyes but time did not crawl to a stop. Data, numbers and familiar images scrolled across her vision; none of it Alex was able to make sense of.

When Alex's body moved without her permission, the Deathclaw suddenly trained in on her movement. Where Alex knew she would have frozen in fear again, her body sprung backwards in a lightening quick speed that Alex did not know she was capable of. Snarling and snapping, the beast followed with a single minded determination it usually reserved solely for hunting. Alex's body bounded backwards, luring the beast right out into the open. Alex felt as if she was on a roller coaster ride and though she was in her body, none of her actions were her own.

The jeep could not have been any more of a welcoming sight. The Pip-Boy's hijacking of Alex's body was beginning to falter. Though her speed and reaction time had been increased drastically – after all, a computer programme was controlling her actions – Alex felt the heavy strain upon her muscles. They were not developed enough to withstand such brutal movement.

But the power of technology was no match for the power of nature. The Deathclaw gained on the girl and just managed to nick her before she reached the safety of the armoured jeep. She tumbled to the ground with a bone crushing thud, the wind knocked brutality from her lungs. The Deathclaw hovered over her; dripping saliva and foam onto the unfortunate victim. Both Alex and the Pip-Boy froze beneath the creature with their artificial and biological hearts beating together in pure, unadulterated fear. For Alex, her fear was blood pumping through veins and arteries. For the Pip-Boy, it was pulses and charges of energy surging through his components.

When the Deathclaw reared its large, scaly head backwards, Alex assumed that Death had finally thrown her to one of his pets. Never did she expect that the rearing of Deathclaw's head was the creature crying out in pain. No, Alex saw only a bright flash of green and heard only the agonizing roar of the predator. It was as if the creature had roared directly into her eardrums. Plasma struck the beast a second time and the horned demon jerked its head to meet the newcomer. Alex could not see who it was but when another scream erupted from the throat of the Deathclaw, she could only assume that it was not good of either party. The second time however, something else answered back with a savage and feral howl that would have sent a Super Behemoth running.

The tides had turned.

The hunter was the hunted.

The predator turned to prey.

Another volley of Plasma hit the creature in the face; singeing through usually resilient hide. The Deathclaw reluctantly backed off its newly acquired prize. The pain of molten skin dripping onto the ground in bubbling strips was too much for the creature to bear. Snarling and snapping yellowed fangs, the Deathclaw took another step backwards as the growling and howling of the savage sound grew louder as it came closer. The usually silent Wasteland became an orchestra of stringing snarls and bellowing howls. It took much persuasion of growls and flashing of green before the beast eventually retreated out onto the plains and disappeared into the Wasteland once again.

When the silence resumed, Alex thought that she were dead. Judging from the pain in her back, Alex really wished she was.

"Alex?" The girl looked up and choked back a sob. Burke was crouched down next to her; hands coiled around a steaming Plasma Rifle. When something furry nuzzled against her cheek, Alex finally realised that the savage howls were not just a sound but her friend instead.

"Burke," she croaked back. He smiled weakly and placed the Plasma rifle on the ground.

"Are you injured?"

Alex winced as she moved against the frozen dirt and chunks of snow. She swiftly became aware of the fact that her back suddenly felt sickening sticky and warm.

"I've had worse," she joked. Burke said nothing and reached into his suit pocket. From pocket stitched better than her jacket, Burke withdrew a clear injection that Alex was sure was a Stimpak. However, it was different that the usual hypodermic that were sold throughout the Capital Wasteland. The contents of Burke's syringe glowed a calming, bright sapphire instead of the standard dull faded blue.

"What's...what's that?" Alex asked meekly as Burke injected the liquid into her arm.

"Shush my love. It will make you feel better."

Alex swallowed down a mouthful of blood and her pride. "Burke, I'm sorry."

Lips quirked upwards into a tiny smile. "As am I."

* * *


	10. Chapter Ten: A Measure of Salvation

**Hello guy! No, I'm not dead. Yeah, bet you didn't expect to get an update. I am still without internet so I have been using Wifis all over the place. New Zealand is just great btw :D You should so come and visit me some day.**

**Anyways, not too much to say about this chapter besides from the fact that it's uber long! (*Fit*) I probably carried on a little too much. And there is plenty of Burke/Alex goodness for those who are interested. Gosh Burke is tricky! I don't nearly do him enough justice!**

**Generic walking and moving was still a complete bitch to write but oh well. I haven't played fallout 3 in nearly two months since I haven't had my gaming PC so everything has had to be done from memory D: Bah! **

**Only like four chapters to go until its finished! Since Broken Steel will be out soon, I'm just going to keep roughly with the original ending because I won't be able to play it for another few months yet. Of course, I'll change it here and there but for the most part, it will be entirely different from Broken Steel. **

**Special thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and kept the Fallout flame in me alive: Mr Wang 330, MysticGohan88, dumb rat, TropicR, Shinsou808, Necromancer Staff, netbreaker0 and Nekoo267. **

**Also, check out other fallout related fics. "Fallout: Red Sun" by Shinsou808, "Diamonds and Rust" by Agent Hellgirl, "Fallout 3: The Avenger" by Mr Wang 330, "The Ghoul, The Bad and The Ugly" by InRodWeTrust, "Excavation" by Kosmokomik and "The Lone Wanderer" by LovelyxxMelody! And now "Fallout 3: The Twilight Saint" by MysticGohan88. All awesome stories in their own right.**

* * *

**Fallout 3:** The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"We were foolish then but I tried so to make us strong  
The burdens are not yours alone  
We sought the answers for so long  
But they're not free  
They cost you more than they cost me"  
-Fullmetal Alchemist, Nothing I won't give  
**

**Chapter Ten: **A Measure Of Salvation

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **22:32**  
Current Date**: 22/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Unable to verify

It was the snoring before anything else that awoke a rather drowsy Alex from a Med-X induced sleep. Still numb from sleep and Med-X, she wasted no time to scowl at the sleeping man – who completely oblivious to the torment he caused his lover. Burke was quite happily asleep in the driver's seat, snoring away fit to bust without a care in the world. Alex twitched the skin beneath her clothes and found it surprisingly itching but free from pain. Alex soon realised that she would have preferred the pain for the wounds on her back felt as if it were covered with hundreds of ants. Jade hues glanced around. She was able to determine that she was still in Burke's jeep. The moon outside indicated that it was nightfall and the soft yipping from behind told Alex that Dogmeat was curled up on the back seat like a fluffy little cushion.

Next she jerked her limbs and found them to be in perfect working order under the two or three layers of blankets that wrapped around her body like a makeshift cocoon. Alex winced and wondered what on earth Burke was trying to do besides from suffocate her in her sleep. She seemed to forget that only four months previously, she had been held up in a cave outside with only a moth eaten sleeping bag and a dog for company.

Frost speared the base of her skull and alerted the young woman of her Pip-Boy's presence. Against Alex's scorching skin, the sheer iciness had a predictably pleasing sensation.

_Alex lass? How yeh feeling?_

The said girl twisted about a little as she tested out the muscles and skin on her back. _I think I'm okay. What happened?_

_We're attacked by a Deathclaw. Those mutts 'o yours managed ta drive it off though._

_No no. I meant what happened before that? Did you take control of my body?_

If the Pip-Boy had a physically form, he would have probably looked extremely sheepish. _Aye, I did. Yeh not mad?_

Alex relaxed inside her blankets.

_I'm not mad or anything but how did you manage that?_

_A neural override._

_You've never done that before._

_Yeh can just thank Doctor Pinkerton for 'hat. I found the specs for the modification on his little box and -_

Alex scowled.

_And you didn't tell me about it._

Alex's Pip-Boy hummed and lit the inside of the Jeep a bright orange; sure sign that the Pip-Boy was growing tired of his owner's ignorance and her constant interrupting.

_Heh, like I'd tell you. Until a few days ago, yeh 'ere convinced I was just a machine. I couldnae trust you not teh delete the program._

Alex felt as if he had just kicked her.

_It's nice to know we have such a good, honest relationship going on here._

The Pip-Boy vibrated against Alex's skin.

_Oh aye, that's some cheek yeh've got lass. What aboot you and that swine Burke?_

_What about us?_

_I thought it be just a little flin' why didae you tell me that you loved 'im. _Alex looked to Burke; wearing an expression as if she were trying to solve some mental puzzle. When Alex did not answer the question, the small device answered for the girl with little love in his synthetic Scottish accent.

_Yeh do love 'im don't ya?_

_I don't know._

Her Pip-Boy hummed. _I think_ _yeh could do better._

A snort escaped Alex's chest.

_Oh geez, thanks for your support. Really _

_Any time sweet lass. _

The Pip-Boy retreated back into the depths of his cache; claiming to have some tasks to complete. His owner knew better however. Alex looked to Burke and a smile crossed her face as she observed the sleeping man. Burke's fedora hat tipped down over his eyes and his sunglasses set were upon his hat. The man was quite frankly endearing when asleep. There was no conceited edge in his voice, no smug superiority written across his face and certainly no slippery smile gracing his lips.

It was too bad he snored like a sick hippo.

A grin tugged at the girl's lips and Alex decided to wake him up just to be mean. She freed one arm from her blankets and gave Burke a poke.

"Burke? Are you awake?"

He stirred slightly in his sleep but did not awaken.

The teenager pulled a face and gave him another prod; harder this time. Alex was less than amused when the suave man remained motionless. He was not typically a heavy sleeper. The drop of a hat was once enough to awaken Mister Burke. "Burke! Wake up!" Her voice, wriggling and nudging somehow managed to stir the man awake. Burke tipped his hat upwards as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. "Alex? Are you in pain again?" he asked softly.

Alex twitched the muscles within her shoulders again. The ache did not flare up and only throbbed dully beneath her skin. "No, I think I'm okay."

Burke stifled a yawn. "I am glad."

Alex thought of the glowing blue syringe. "What was that syringe thing you used on me?"

"It was a new type of medicine that I had invested in. I presume it worked?" His tone looked to divert Alex's attention.

And it worked. The teenager's painfully reliable attention span worked to Mister Burke's advantage.

"Amazingly well actually. I just feel a bit itchy now."

He grimaced slightly. "That will be the skin healing. I dare say it will take some time for the scars to reduce."

"Great, just great. I'm hideously scarred before I'm even twenty!" the girl whined thought it should have occurred to her that most people did not live to see their twentieth birthday in the Capital Wasteland.

"Shall I kiss it better?"

Alex let out a muffled noise that could have been a raspberry. "Get bent Burke. This is all your fault anyway."

"My fault?! Who exactly destroyed my radio? And who ran off, tangled and lost a fight with a Deathclaw?" accused Burke, his tone wickedly sharp and stinging. Alex reacted as expected and reached out to give him a good slap. She would have most likely succeeded had her arms been a touch longer.

It was less than thirty seconds later when Alex gave up and collapsed back down onto the reclined car seat. "If you hadn't been such a jerk then I wouldn't have stormed off," insisted Alex, ignoring the

"Whatever gets you to sleep at night," Mister Burke remarked mildly

She pulled a face. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

"I try my best."

The scowl Alex had been wearing from nearly ten minutes intensified considerably. "I hope that wasn't your 'best' last night."

Burke's eyes glimmered with a heat that Alex found hard to ignore. "I heard no complaints from you."

"Oh please Burke, you weren't _that_ good." The time had come when Alex had long forgotten to become flustered at Burke's furtive seduction. She no longer felt aggravated with herself for finding him charming nor did she harbour shame for finding the villainous man attractive in every possible aspect.

After all, she was only human.

Burke shifted on the leather seating and looked out the window. The teenager looked too, just to see what had caught his attention.

The moon lingered above; single and solitary like the Jeep below that housed Alex and Burke. A faint, ghostly glow bathed the capital Wasteland and almost made the land seem beautiful. There was something enchanting about the open canvas of dark jade being illuminated by tones and glimmers of silver. The dark snow clouds had since moved on but the chill had not departed and clung to the air with an iron grip. The Wasteland was so very motionless that cold winters night. Even the stray Deathclaw that had assaulted Alex earlier that evening had taken shelter down in a cave of rock some twenty miles away.

"Least there are a few beauties still free in this world," Burke remarked, looking to the shimmering moon.

"Burke?"

"Hmm?"

"I've always been meaning to ask. Who are you really?"

"I am Mister Burke."

Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, I know that but who are you really? You've probably one of the most important things that have happened to me and I know nothing about you."

"You know my name, is that not enough?"

"I know your last name, that's all," declared Alex with a decisive frown. Mister Burke did so hate it when Alex wore that frown. Usually, it accompanied a headache and a verbal sparring.

But then, considered Mister Burke, has she not certainly spilled her heart out to him already. Was it not only fair that he should do the same in return?

Although he knew he would come to regret the decision later, Mister Burke yielded to the inquisitive young woman. "What do you wish to know?"

"For starters, what's your first name?"

Burke paused for a moment before answering. "William," he stated firmly.

Alex blinked vacantly at the revelation. "William Burke? As in the serial killer?" she asked when something finally clicked.

The man facial expression darkened, his voice dropped a note or two and his eyes clouded with a sort of restrained anger. Alex could not be sure if it were directed at her when fingernails dug into the leather seating of his chair.

"My father had a rather twisted sense of humour," Mister Burke explained. There was indeed no mistaking the venom and revulsion in his usually smooth and liquid tone.

"Is that a stroke of anger I hear in your voice Burke?"

"You would be correct. Much unlike yourself, I hated my sire."

A russet haired head cocked to the side. "Why?"

Burke stared right back at the teenager perched upon him and a few moments, he considered lying. "He considered my birth to be nothing more than a mistake."

"You serious?"

"I wish I weren't."

Alex snuggled down into his chest. "No wonder you're so fucked up."

"What have I told you about your language?"

"God, you're worse than my dad was."

"I applaud him. How he managed for twenty-"

"Nineteen"

"Correction, nineteen years I'll never know."

"Still, I didn't expect you to have a name like that. You look like a Lucien"

"You have no room to talk, _Alexandra_,"

Burke's frown swiftly gained a companion upon Alex's face. "Point taken. So should I call you William now?"

"No, Mister Burke shall do just fine thank you"

"That's stupid. You'd think that someone I'd slept with would let me call them by their first name."

"I have little patience to fight with you about this tonight. Just go to sleep."

"Spoilsport."

"Only at quarter to eleven at night my dear."

Alex rolled her side to take the pressure off her itching back and was unable to fight the smile that tugged at her lips.

Surely no other woman had ever spent such an obscure night with an equally obscure man.

* * *

**Number**: V-T01011992-ASERIES  
**Current Time: **07:55**  
Current Date**: 23/11/2277  
**Current Location**: Little Lamplight Caverns.

"You got everything?" Alex asked as she zipped up a knee length jacket that was as heavy as it looked. Although it was at least two or three sizes too big, it suited her well. Every pocket seemed to be loaded with weapons ranging from plasma pistols to rippers to bullets right down to knifes. Boxes of Calibres of every size were stuffed into every spare pouch. It was sizeable and sturdy. Even the threads in the stitching seemed stronger than steel.

The suited man shouldered a Spas-12 shotgun and slid a clip of 556mm ammo home into his assault rifle.

"Let it never be said that I was not prepared."

Alex regarded his attire with an unusually critical eye. Only then did Mister Burke's outfit seem just as out of place than spots at a stripes party. "That all you're wearing?" the teenager asked as she stroked the material of her weighty jacket. Burke rapped his chest and a hard, heavy thud resounded off his chest and indicated to the flak jacket he wore beneath his suit.

Jade eyes rolled in Alex's russet haired head. "Yeah, but is that _all_ you're wearing?"

"Of course not," was Burke's reply before he reached into one of their many Pandora's boxes and withdrew the dark trench coat he had worn two weeks previously. It positively reeked of high quality and was a coat that few people could make look well. The design of the coat looked very familiar to the young woman and she could not fathom where she had seen it. Though Burke might have well have been wearing paper for all the protection it provided.

Alex stared at him for a moment longer than she intended. The man noticed Alex's intent stare and frowned.

"May I help you?" he asked innocuously, effectively snapping the young girl out of her mental ravine.

"You're gonna get chewed up there wearing only that" Alex countered; bursting Mister Burke's bubble with a well deserved pop. Burke shut the boot and followed Alex down to the mouth of the caverns with his hands in his coat pockets. Burke had parked his land cruiser in what had once been the carpark of Lamplight caverns (Looking as if a hurricane had just blown in)

"Ready?" Burke asked as his shoes met the crunching, crisp snow that smothered the car park.

"Not really."

From the moment they entered the caverns, Alex had no need to flick on the light on her Pip-Boy. Much to the little expectations of Alex and Mister Burke, the entrance of Little Lamplight was surprisingly bright. The walls had been lined with many tiny, delicate lights; just as fragile and small as the fairies that created them. Stray pieces of wreckage, tires and other household appliances lined their path; increasing in number and mass the further the pair traversed the tunnels. Alex could not help but feel unnerved and Dogmeat thankfully shared a similar attitude. The husky dog plastered himself to the heels of his packmates and did not venture out any more than half a metre in front of the armed humans.

"I must say, I like what they have done with the place," Burke remarked as he toed a stray tricycle out of his path.

"Let's just hurry up and find this Vault 87 place. It's creepy down here," Alex said with a shiver.

Burke's eyebrow arched effectively. "Scared are you my love?" he all but purred. The girl shot him a look filthier than a Megaton toilet.

"I'm not scared," Alex defended. At that moment, her gloved fingers gripped the Plasma rifle tighter against her leather clad chest. They were silent for a further five minutes as the bizarre pair negotiated through the caverns. Misleading fairy lights tempted the couple down further still and whilst Alex and Burke had expected the light in the mine to diminish, it only seemed to increase in intensity. No sound could be heard amid except from the soft thump of boots and the patter of hardened paws against drums of rock and sandstone.

The first vapours of fear were breathed through Alex's pores and into her already skittish mind. It took all her courage and more not to turn back and march out of the Lamplight Caverns.

Alex had figured for the Caverns to be cold but instead, it was pleasantly warm. Too warm in fact that Alex was forced to unzip her coat. Even Burke's pale complexion pinkened slightly as they traversed through the brightly lit tunnels of Little Lamplight. Alex was not entirely sure what she was looking for but she was certain that she would it when she found it.

When they did, Alex could not have been any more surprised.

It was like a sort of large, wooden barricade that met Alex's green eyed vision. A huge panel of chipped, defaced timber blocked the path of the two companions. Words of warning and danger were scribed across the pale wood in a childish scrawl. The simple, yet ingenious blockade was operated by two makeshift sacks of boulders and rock. While one would descend and open the wooden barrier, the other would rise to shut it again. The power source to move the boulders was completely unknown.

Alex turned to question Burke about the obscure obstruction when a childlike voice suddenly shouted out at them.

"Hold it right there Mungos!" His sudden unexpected presence demanded both Alex's and Burke's complete attention. "Don't take another step or we'll blow your fucking head off!" the small boy was perched on one of the platforms on the opposite side of the barrier with his assault rifle aimed at the pair. Alex was quite stunned beyond belief. Never had the teenager expected to find a child down in the caverns of Little Lamplight, much less an armed and dangerous one.

Burke, however, did not seem the least bit surprised. "Lamplighters. I had heard rumours that children lived in these tunnels but I did not believe them to be true," he murmured into Alex's ear

"And you didn't tell me this why?!" Alex demanded, furious that she had been so caught off guard.

The boy perched on the other side of the blockade interrupted the conversation before Burke could respond. "Hey! Look at me when I'm threatening you!" he shouted down at the offending Adults.

Alex found her tongue and rounded onto the child. "Do all your visitor get this kind of personal abuse?" Alex demanded, completely ignorant of the fact that he was heavily armed and had the upper hand. But then, the small child dropped his assault rifle to get a better look at the teenager shouting back up at him.

"What are you doing hanging out with that Mungo?"

The suave man beside Alex knew exactly where the conversation was going and tried his best to hide his glee. Alex had gotten lost on the road that was confusion.

"What you mean?"

A scowl found the child's face. "You're little. Like us. So, you should be in here with us."

Alex all but combusted on the spot. "I am not little!" she insisted, her cheeks bright red under her tan. Dogmeat barked in agreement.

"How old are you then? Twelve? Thirteen?"

"I'm nineteen!" Alex defended. The boy let out a hoot of laughter.

"Man, you look like a baby. Mungos were supposed to be old. Like that guy you're with."

Mister Burke cocked an eyebrow; looking like a man who was enjoying a particularly amusing film.

"Yeah well, you know what? You look like my butt!" Alex snorted immaturely. Burke let out a laugh at the juvenile and crude humour of the two youngsters.

But crude was effective against the child for the assault rifle disappeared completely from view. The small hooligan smirked from his position on the other side of the barricade.

"You must like having such a good looking butt," he teased.

Alex shrugged in her typically careless manner. "Yeah well your mum likes it."

"Oh Alex, a mother joke?" Burke said reproachfully. To the surprise of both, the boy simply chuckled in response.

"You're alright for a Mungo you know that? So what are you doing here?"

"Vault 87. I heard your tunnels might have an entrance."

"Yeah we do, it's through Murder Pass. But no one goes near there anymore."

A head of russet locks cocked to the side "Why not?"

The rebellious child shuddered in recollection. "It's where the monsters live. You know the big and green ones that kinda look like people 'cept they're all wrong."

"Well, we need to get there. Can you show us?"

"Sure, I'll take you there Mungo" He paused and eyed Mister Burke with little respect in his stare. The man glared back. "I suppose he can come in as well for a while."

Alex breathed out a lungful of relief. "Thanks...uhm?"

"Oh, I'm Mayor MacCready. I run Little Lamplight. I usually don't let Mungos in but I guess I can trust you." Mayor MacCready jostled his assault rifle at Burke in a manner that could have been threatening had the boy been a foot or two taller. "And as for you, follow my rules and play nice with the others or I'll run you right out of town," he warned. There was little evidence in his voice that could have possibly doubted his statement

Steel eyes narrowed at the smaller boy behind the barricade. "Oh I assure you, I have much more civility than you give me credit for," Burke guaranteed, so very snide and cynical in his words. MacCready smirked as the barricade sprung to life. A familiar, mechanical growl spurred to life so quickly and loudly that Alex nearly jumped. On the right hand side of the wall was an old motorcycle jerry-rigged to the gate. The small amount of power and energy was able to haul the gate up enough for the two adults to walk through. Though it was not nearly as impressive as the barricade at the Citadel, it was no less useful for the inhabitants of Little Lamplight.

On the other side of the wooden blockade, Burke and Alex were able to get a better look at the mouthy child. He could not have been any more than nine or ten with a murky green eyes and a dusting of freckles upon his cheeks. His small body was adorned in a set of camouflage gear and combat boots that were far too large for him. On his small head was an old army hat with a pair of goggles strapped to it, both items were indeed two sizes too big for him. "So, you still want to go to Vault 87?" the boy asked, reaching down to clap Dogmeat on his furry head.

Alex looked to Burke, who simply nodded. "Is there any other way in?"

The child crossed his arms impatiently. "Well yes and no. The computer's broke. No one has been able to fix it, not even Joseph."

"Where is the computer?"

MacCready released a restless sigh but pointed towards a tunnel to the left of them. "Go through that tunnel, take a left then head straight up. Not too difficult for you Mungo?"

"Thanks a lot."

"Caps and Ammo are the preferred way of showing your love" MacCready responded. At that moment, Alex's stomach erupted with a loud and audible growl. She and Burke had skipped breakfast that morning in favour of finding the entrance to the tunnels.

Burke stifled a snort. "I am sure they would have heard that in Megaton." The husky dog barked in agreement.

"Oh shut up," Alex hissed, glaring at her four legged companion as if it were entirely his fault.

"There's a canteen to the north. Stop on by and spend your Caps. Or we'll beat you senseless until you do."

"You like a tourist guide or something?"

"Hey!"

"Sorry sorry. I'll be going now."

When Alex and Burke left the boy known as MacCready at the entrance of Little Lamplight, the suave man could not hide a grin. The more Alex tried to ignore the way Burke's lips tilted when he smiled, the more cantankerous she became at her own weakness.

"What are you so happy about?" Her attitude and body language alone demanded an answer.

"He reminds me of someone."

"Who? MacCready?"

"Yes. He is a touch irritable isn't he?"

"You saying he sounds like someone?"

Burke stared at her for a moment and allowed his implications to sink into the thick skull of Alex.

He was no less amused when Alex's face suddenly flushed her unflattering shade of red in anger. "Cheek! I am so not like that!"

The outburst rewarded her with a crisp laugh.

"I can assure you, you most certainly are."

"Am not."

"Cease this childish charade. It is getting quite old."

"Well, stop being a dick and I'll think about it!"

* * *

The distinct lack of children or fellow teenagers in the Capital Wasteland had always been an issue to Alex. Once she had seen the entirety of Little Lamplight, those doubts were promptly diminished. There were children in the Wasteland, many in fact judging from the countless numbers that rushed past the unusual couple. A few stopped to stare, several poked fun at the pair and only three or four actually greeted them properly.

Little Lamplight was divided into three or four different sections. In the entrance cave was a medium sized cavern that housed the medical bay, storage facilities and a makeshift classroom. The classroom and Sick Bay were run by two regular children who possessed knowledge and experience beyond their years. Burke and Alex had stopped by to purchase some more Rad-Away for the wayward girl. After breathing clean air for nearly twenty years, the Vault Dweller was not quite use to all the radiation in the atmosphere.

From the primary entrance tunnels, three more passageways were connected to the main cave. One led off to where the residents of Little Lamplight slept and ate, a central hollow called "The Great Chamber." It was made up with a series of walkways connected to different platforms by wooden rope bridges. The platforms were suspended above many springs and wells of water that served as a type of hot spring to the residents. Though the water was poisonous to ingest, it was harmless for cleaning. Such a marvel of ingenuity and resourcefulness left both Alex and Burke feeling quite speechless. Never had the pair imagined that such a bustling, active community could survive deep underground and be entirely run by children three times younger than themselves.

It was not only children that patrolled the walkways. Five or six seemingly strong bodied dogs guarded the suspended aisles. Each Dog was of a different breed, ranging from a strong and swift husky to a bulky Alsatian. When Alex, Burke and Dogmeat entered after getting lost, the mongrel pup was more than obliged to fight with them.

The other was a passageway lead to the Souvenir Shop. A small and cheerful boy by the name of Knick Knack ran the store and was more than happy to trade with outsiders. Beyond that was another chamber known to all as "Murder Pass." The decrease of children around the area was certainly noticeable.

"I think Dog's got a bit of wolf in him," Alex stated as she watched Dogmeat saunter on ahead with a swagger in his step. Undoubtedly, he was feeling quite pleased with himself for tangling with five dogs and coming out victorious.

Burke paused a moment to survey the animal. It was only then did he notice that Dogmeat's coat was a touch too bristled around his face, his limbs too striking and his snout too defined for a simple husky. "It would not surprise me in the least. What exactly did you say you found him again?"

"I didn't find him. He found me on my second night in the Wasteland. Been with me ever since..." The girl stopped in her recollection for a moment. "Well, there was that time when I lost him in Project Purity."

"And you got him back?" asked Burke, sounding quite surprised. Alex nodded and looked to the animal fondly.

"Yes, he came back to me even then."

"Quite a companion you have there."

"He's a good guard dog. And scavenger. We made a good team out here."

"I assume that was how you survived out there?"

"Well yeah Burke, nothing makes a girl more adventurous than an empty pocket. Besides, he was good company."

"Better than even I?" The man enquired as they reached the room that housed the Vault-Tec computer. It was small room with the door being controlled by simple hydraulics; painted with faded Vault-Tec colours and annotated in their emblem. Alex dropped her Plasma Rifle on a nearby table and approached the door.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," the Vault Dweller answered as a gloved hand swept across the rusted and battered door. Burke smirked and went to the old computer.

"Shall I?"

"Be my guest. You're the one with the _magic touch,_" Alex remarked with an arched tone. The console mounted onto the wall had certainly seen better days and Burke could not hide his disgust as he wiped the screen free from dirt and dust. Alex glanced over to find Burke's fingertips darting across the console's keyboard as if he had done it all before. Although Burke had returned power to the computer, the door stubbornly remained shut.

Alex appeared at his side. "What's the diagnosis doctor?"

"I have restored the system and power but there is an encryption preventing me from opening the door," Burke explained with a frown.

Ice pooled at the back of Alex's neck. _Lass? Should I?_

"Right then. Move over, I'll get it."

"Please, by all means." Burke stepped out of the way of Alex and watched as the girl withdrew a cord from the small device on her wrist. Clearly intrigued, he said nothing more while Alex slid the connection home. The motionless Pip-Boy mounted upon Alex's scrawny wrist suddenly became very animated and alive. The screen lit up hues of emerald green and lines of machine code scrawled across the monitor. That very same image was transferred onto the computer screen and it did not take long for the Pip-Boy to break through several firewalls of encryption.

Only five minutes later, Alex withdrew the cable and shot her companion a smug smile of self satisfaction as the door sprung to life with a sick hiss.

"Now now, no need get a big head," Burke warned before he picked up the discarded Spas-12. Alex slung her trusted Plasma Rifle over her shoulder.

"Too late for that."

It was the smell of fresh blood that struck Alex, Burke and Dogmeat first. That lingering, heavy smell of something coppery and minty upon your tongue if you had stepped into a murder scene. Blood in small quantities has little or no scent but in large, it could be overpowering. Although it was a simple reactor room, it could have well have been a battlefield. Dark red fluids painted the floor and walls with intricate swirls, every inch of metal had been covered with a thick, coppery layer of erosion, Dust rose and fell in great gasps; disturbed by the breathing of the two companions and the lights flickered and threatened to die out completely.

Alex could only pray that they wouldn't.

The man beside Alex crouched down to examine the stains. "Fresh Blood. I doubt that it is any more than a hours old," Burke said as he poked the wet globules with an unnerving coolness that Alex found disconcerting. Dogmeat inched forward to sniff the mess hesitantly. "And this here." He pointed to a very distinct mark upon the concrete. "It looks as if someone was forcibly dragged here against their will." Alex stopped a moment to examine the stain. Plainly evident hands prints stained the ground in long stretches and ended near the second door of the reactor room.

"You think whatever caused..." she paused to gulp. "...That could still be here?" the former Vault Dweller asked.

A thoughtful frown pulled at Burke's lips. "It is indeed possible. We have little inkling just how long this Vault has been abandoned." He gestured to the broken and rusted equipment around them. Nearly every inch of metal had crusted over with rust dark and red enough to pass off as blood.

Alex faltered; her weakness forcing her to take a trembling step backwards. Burke paused from examining the life-giving liquid on the concrete and looked to her questionably. "Is something troubling you?"

"No. No I'm fine. We should keep moving." Alex's tone quivered as much as her legs. Burke straightened up and approached the trembling female with a single minded determination that he reserved for no one else. When dealing with the teenager, he required every ounce of his strength.

"Alex, look at me."

The girl did so with effort. She had been focused entirely on the hand prints upon the ground.

Burke planted his hands upon Alex's shoulders as if he would never let go. "My dear, listen. We shall get through this. We have made it thus far. Trust me." Burke comforted as gently as he knew how. So very convincing and certain Mister Burke sound that Alex almost believed him.

Almost being the key word.

Swallowing hard, Alex managed to respond. "If you have a death wish, then let's get going."

Burke let out a chuckle and kissed the former Dweller's forehead. "I trust that you will not object if I go first?"

"Knock yourself out," the female answered and gestured forwards to the door in front of them. Mister Burke cocked the Spas-12 in his grasp and moved forward with a usually careful edge in his steps. Alex followed the suit and was tailed closely by Dogmeat.

They entered what could have once been a storage room of a sort. More rusted equipment decked the halls and floor. Steam escaped through the corroded vent shafts above and for a moment, Alex wished she could have been steam as well. What a life that would be to simply be the by-product of nature; to float off and up without a care in the world. Burke had no time for daydreaming and crept calmly and carefully into the room; his shotgun at the ready.

"Alex lass, Hurry up and get that melon o' yours in the game!"

Mister Burke trigger finger clenched in surprise and fright at the sudden intrusion of the Scottish Pip-Boy. A single shell erupted from the nose of the shot-gun and shrapnel embedded itself in the wall opposite. The Vault Dweller let out a surprised and rather undignified squeak and stepped backwards onto Dogmeat's front paws. The dog yelped loudly and soon enough, all hell broke loose within that small storage room.

It was hardly unforeseen when Alex's bewilderment swiftly morphed into unmerited ire. "Don't do that to me! I'm nervous enough as it is," she snarled at the Pip-boy while grasping an over-excited Dogmeat by the scruff of his neck.

A thoroughly unimpressed Burke glowered at the gadget strapped to Alex's wrist. It was one of the few moments when the former Vault Dweller saw the superior expression washed clean from his face. Superiority was a look Alex would have been more than happy to see him wear less. "That over-grown pocket-watch of yours is most likely to get us killed in here," Burke stated.

The Pip-Boy flashed red in a palpable challenge. "Not if yeh crappy shooting kills dinnae get us killed first. A muttie could stick a target on its arse and yeh'd still be pointing at yeh shoe!" the device buzzed out so fiercely that his speakers vibrated against Alex's skin.

Alex cuffed the whining Dogmeat into submission before turning onto the other two companions. "Oh shut up you two! This is the last thing we need." The bout of confidence from the Pip-Boy restored Alex's own and diminished her dread.

Anger she could deal with, fear she could not.

"Is it possible to mute that device?"

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Not that I know of," Alex replied.

A synthesised raspberry escaped the Pip-Boy. "Face it boy, she likes me better," he mocked.

"That I highly doubt."

"Okay guys. This is really not helping. Burke, just be more careful okay?" Alex asked before returning to the small device on her skinny wrist. "And as for you." She rapped the screen sharply "Just keep quiet while we do this. If you have something to say, then just feed it through me first. We don't need any more hiccups okay? This place is creepy enough as it is."

The Pip-Boy let out a grumble that sounded more like bolts swirling around in a blender.

"Oh bugger to that lass. Yeh used to be a barrel o' laughs before yeh got tied up with that Numpty," he stated before the Vault-Tec screensaver flicked over, indicating that the Pip-Boy was on a level three huff mode. Alex released a sigh and turned her attention back onto Burke.

"Worse than a child sometimes."

The man kicked a crate to the side and pushed another away. "Not like you are much better."

Alex did not mince her next words. "Fuck you Burke."

Burke clicked his tongue in his typical, condescending manner. "That temper of yours shall get you in trouble yet."

Alex joined the man at the piles of boxes and began shifting another three or four. "Like it hasn't already -" The girl was then swiftly cut off by a surprised yelp from two feet away. Mister Burke had jumped back as if he had springs on his shoes; the snout of his Shot-Gun jostled at a grouping of web covered boxes. Alex peered over and nearly fell about laughing.

Sitting on one crate was quite possibly the most bewildered looking creature they had seen to date. A medium sized hairy looking insect stared out at the three companions; each of its eight eyes trained upon the group. It was roughly the size of a rugby ball with eight large, hairy legs that arched out in every direction. The creature in question was once a common garden spider that had mutated over two hundred years from the radiation in the water, air and ground.

"A Radspider. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Vaults are dark," Alex remarked, giving the creature a small nudge with the nose of her Plasma Rifle. The distinctly ruffled looking spider retracted a leg at the prodding of the mechanic. Thick swirls of green glows in the power distribution chamber heightened the dull markings upon the creature's back.

Burke backed up two or three steps from the Radspider; his heart bouncing around inside his chest like a tennis ball. The teenager looked to him with a mischievous smirk that was certainly not appropriate for the timing nor the place. "What's your problem?" She asked with already knowing the answer that was to come.

A loud swallow confirmed her suspicions. "Can you please exterminate for me?"

Alex hitched an eyebrow, loving every minute of the conversation. "Mister Burke, are you afraid of spiders?"

The man shot her a glare that was supposed to be intimidating. "No, of course not. I am just not entirely fond of them."

"Come on, it's just a little one. The ones in Vault 101 were massive! Like the size of Dogmeat!" Alex rambled on with little consideration for her companion. Burke's face turned several different shades of grey as Alex continued to describe with great detail the measurements of the Radspider she found in Maintenance's Storage compartment.

"Alex, you are not really helping."

A snort escaped the former Vault Dweller. "Alright alright you big baby. Geez." Alex turned to the insect and gave it another prod with the Plasma Rifle. "Go on little guy. Off you go. Scoot. Vamoose." The Radspider shot Alex what could have only been described as a glare before it scuttled off the container and headed backwards towards Little Lamplight.

Burke released the breath of oxygen he had been holding. "I thought it would never leave," he remarked before continuing with the shifting of the rubble. Alex continued to grin at the man; desperately trying to get his attention.

"Can I help you?" Burke ground out; trying desperately to appear unfazed and failing spectacularly.

"You didn't tell be you had arachnophobia."

Burke scowled to prove his point. "And?"

"Nothing. I just think it's cute is all. The charming and cultured Mister Burke, afraid of spiders."

"If you must know, it is because I was bitten once by a Radspider as a child. Since then, I have been somewhat wary of them."

"So that was what caused that bite mark on your arm?"

"You are correct."

"...I still think you were over reacting."

"Well, what do you fear exactly?"

"Nothing."

"Come of it now my dear. Everyone has one so what is yours."

"No, I'm not telling you. You'd just use it against me later."

"Why, I would never!"

Dogmeat watched the pair with reserved interest and arched ears. The mongrel could only presume that the hostile behaviour displayed by the couple was a sort of tail-less courting ritual. From what the he had observed, it was not entirely different from that of dogs; the strongest of males exercised his restraints against the temper of the Alpha female. Dogmeat had watched said displays two or three times before and predictably it ended with the primal domination his Pack sister.

"Right Dog, let's go," Alex summoned once the rubbish and boxes had been cleared away. Burke went through first armed with his powerful Spaz-12 shotgun, followed by Dogmeat while the rear was brought up by Alex and a fully charged Plasma Rifle. The strange entourage continued through the corridor and headed straight up a set of straining, slick stairs onto another level of the Forgotten Vault. Alex could not dislodge the foreboding that the wetness that covered the tiles beneath their feet was blood.

It was not long before the trio came across a sight so chilling that even Mister Burke was forced to look away. The blood trail the group had been following lead them straight into an orchestra of skeletons and severed limbs. A thick, meaty paste covered the floor in congealing clusters and put the companions in mind of raw hamburger meat. It was hard to tell where a body ended and where another began.

"It looks like...," Alex trailed off.

Dogmeat let out a whimper.

"A massacre," Burke finished the sentence for her. She looked to him and found he possessed a liquid cool clarity despite the situation. There was nothing that Alex would not give to own such a gift. The former Vault Dweller had fooled herself into believing that she had become accustomed to seeing the horrors of the Wasteland. Violence in every variation was not new to the girl by any stretch of the imagination. Kill or Be Killed was the game of the Capital Wasteland; a game that everyone knew the rules but cheated nonetheless. However, nothing in Alex's four months out in the Capital could have prepared her for the gruesome scene that played before her very eyes. The Vaults were supposed to be safe havens, not the final resting place for the souls who put their faith in their American companies. She wished that her head was a video recorder so she could use the fast-forward button.

Alex jumped when Burke's hand suddenly coiled around her wrist with the strength of a Boa Constrictor.

"We must move on."

The girl swallowed the rock her in her throat and allowed Burke to guide her forward. It was just simpler that way to avoid looking at the floor beneath her feet. When she stepped in a particularly large clump of fleshy mess, Alex felt as if she were going to scream. It was the silence that unnerved the girl the most. There was no hum of the reactor. No other footsteps. No distant chattering of fellow Vault Dwellers.

Just emptiness and stillness.

But the former Vault Dweller kept her head and followed the bobbing tail of Dogmeat straight up onto another level designated as the Living Quarters. Much unlike Vault 112, Vault 87 had been most certainly used. Beds had been piled high as crude barricades, broken glass crusted the ground and countless crates commandeered the corridors. Personal effects had been thrown around left, right and center. Scraps of clothing were so blood soaked that Alex could have squeezed it out and filled several pints. Bullet holes had torn up the walls and the dank smell of carnage still hung heavily in the air.

There was little to no light in the more isolated parts of the Vault as most of the emergency lighting had failed. A few blubs still flickered persistently but otherwise, the Vault was in complete darkness. Burke flicked on his Shot-Gun light and Alex paused Dogmeat in mid-step to switch on a collar of small, halogen fairy lights they purchased from Little Lamplight. Alex did not have to reach for her Pip-Boy light for the device switched it on automatically.

Alex's fingers had only just left Dogmeat's collar when the husky started to growl softly in his throat. His owner looked through the darkness uncertainly as Burke took a single, guarded step forward into the doom and gloom. Somewhere in the depths of Vault 87, something stirred to the light from Burke's Shot-gun. Alex heard the breathing through her ears but felt it in her gut.

She knew that sound all too well.

They had maybe three seconds, perhaps less before a Super Mutant lunged forward from the intimidating shadows. As soon as the red blip blossomed on her Heads Up Display, Alex's hand developed a will of its own and darted for the Magnum clipped to her belt. The Pip-Boy on her wrist buzzed with anticipation of a fight and Alex sorely wished she had felt the same.

But Burke was a fraction of a second faster. With fluid accuracy, he aimed directly at the skull of the offending green giant and squeezed the trigger. A deep and resounding boom exploded from the nose of the Shot-Gun and it was as if the noise itself propelled the shell forward. The head of the Super Mutant detonated like a sort of organic bomb and it swiftly tumbled to the ground in a heap. Blood poured out of the gap where the mutant's head once occupied and spilled out onto the floor like a crimson blanket.

When the Shot-Gun nose dropped down and the muscles within Burke's back relaxed under his overcoat, Alex was able to breathe as easily as the situation would allow.

"I wish I had that kind of aim," Alex managed once her lungs no longer felt like shrivelled prunes.

Burke shouldered his firearm to admire his handiwork. "Practice my dear girl, practice."

"Still, you looked so at home fighting them. Have you fought with mutants before?"

Burke's facial expression twitched slightly at if he considered her question to be quite dense (Which, most likely, it was) "Would I be alive today if I had not?"

"Very true. Next one is mine."

Burke gestured forward for Alex to take the lead. "By all means."

And so the strange group continued through the living quarters of Vault 87. The great light bloomed from the Pip-Boy though the darkness; revealing all that had been hidden from the flashlight. The further the group traversed through the abandoned Vault, the more horrific scenes they encountered. Another two mutants ambushed the pair when they continued through the corridor but the combined effort of the three fearless fighters made quick work of them. Plasma, shrapnel and fangs worked side by side in a bizarre but effective combination.

"Where do you think this G.E.C.K thing could be?" Alex asked as she flattened the skull of a stirring Super Mutant with a booted foot.

Burke fed another few shells into his Shot-Gun. "Well, where would you hide such a valuable piece of equipment?"

A switched flicked in Alex's head. "The Medical bay. That was where most of the more valuable equipment was stored."

"Since I have never been on holiday in a Vault before, where exactly is the Medical bay?"

Alex brought a map of Vault 101 onto the screen of her Pip-Boy. "We head straight through here. Take the door on the right. Across this walkway then keep heading straight up."

"How can you be sure that this is the correct path?"

The screen flicked back onto Combat mode as Alex sighed with irritation "Because Burke, every Vault has the same layout. Saved on money when they were first built. Vault-Tec would always exactly how much it cost build each Vault."

"And you are certain of this?"

"Burke, I lived in a Vault remember?"

"Yes, how could I forget?"

Despite lurking around the darkened corridors of Vault 87, Alex snapped her fingers playfully. "Oh what is that saying again? 'An elephant never forgets?'"

"That arrogance of yours is a terribly attractive quality"

"So is that smugness of yours. Now let's go and be careful be. There is probably more Mutants waiting for us. They always hunt in packs."

* * *

When they reached the central chamber of Vault 87, the enemy had indeed been waiting for them. Twenty minutes later found Alex, Burke and Dogmeat pinned down behind a makeshift barricade of up turned chairs and titanium tables. Three Super Mutants fired down from above while two ploughed forward. Bullets churned up the blistering air as eagerly as it would flesh while hungered green giant closed on the crouching group. Had Alex not been teamed with Burke and her trusted Pip-Boy, it was more certain than that she would have been torn apart. The Pip-Boy's guidance had channelled sloppy, rusted pot-shots into precise and accurate aims. Burke's leadership and command put Alex in mind of a military officer and had she not been caught up in the intense adrenaline of combat, it may have occurred to her that he might have been part of the Enclave at some point.

Alex had just drained the cell of power with blind firing when Burke withdrew a hand that had been fishing about in his pocket. In the man's grasp was a glittering grenade far too elaborate to be a simple Frag grenade. Alex had little time to examine the glowing cartridge for Burke leisurely tossed over his shoulder in a calmness she found sickening when considering the circumstances. Burke pushed Alex's head down roughly then pressed down Dogmeat with his free hand.

He was not a moment too soon

A second later and the entire quadrangle had erupted with bright neon green, coupled with a rush of seemingly warm wind. The whole room seemed ablaze with envy green fire. Plasma singled the skin of the exposed Super Mutants and filled the chamber with the smell of burning flesh; a smell that made a rather morbid Alex feel quite hungry.

Once the Plasma grenade had dissipated, Burke poked his head up slightly over the barricade. The covering of titanium tables had shielded them from the blow but the plasma had burnt through most of the metal until it was practically paper thing. "How does it look?" Alex whispered, hands clutching the rifle with trembling fingers.

A round of 566mm bullets soared past Burke's exposed head and landed in the wall behind them. One mutant was still alive on the upper Walkways.

"Does that answer your question?"

Alex cracked a small, tired smile. "One we can deal with."

When the bullets stopped, Alex, Burke and Dogmeat darted forward under the covers of shadow to the doorway on the right. A staircase slick with blood met the group but Alex did not flinch again. The horrors of Vault 87 had come and gone. Nothing could waver Alex again.

Or so she thought.

They battled their way up across the walkways and pushed through Super Mutant blockades until their guns felt sickeningly light. By the time they had reached the Medical wing, Alex was down to only three or four cells whilst Burke only had a grand total of eight Shot-Gun shells left and all other ammo had been depleted. Dogmeat had no need for bullets or shells of cells but his jaws and claws were feeling the effects of over-use.

It was not just Alex's guns that felt the strain but her body was also in need of serious repair. Stimpaks were numbered, Med-X had been long depleted and Buff-Out was but a bitter sweet release. Burke the Businessman had fared much better than the teenager; miraculously enough only sporting only a few bruises and scrapes.

The same could not have been said for his expensive, tortoiseshell sunglasses.

Whilst Burke mourned his broken glasses, Alex slumped down against the main door of infirmary and let her brain race to catch up with her heart; one hand raked through sweaty russet locks.

"Are you injured?"

Jade hues narrowed hazardously. "That a trick question?" Alex did not bother to hide her displeasure.

"Do not test my temper woman," Burke warned in a tone equally as dangerous.

Just as she was too weary to care, Alex was also too drained to fight back. She rubbed her face with weathered fingertips. The gloves had been discarded long ago; too bloodied and torn to be repaired. "You would think this would get easier. Let's just hurry up and find the G.E.C.K then get out of here. The Brotherhood of Steel can do the rest."

A flicker of something unrecognisable skipped across Burke's face. It was fleeting and brief but was most certainly there. Alex would have noticed it too if she had not been pre-occupied with the trivial matter of examining a bullet hole in her jacket.

By the time Alex looked up again, Burke had already masked his facial expression and was occupying his hands with setting up a few traps for anything that was following them.

"We'd better have a look around this place. The G.E.C.K could be anywhere. Heck, we don't even know what it looks like" Alex stated before she hauled herself to her feet. Dogmeat after some brief coaxing followed his owner and Burke plodded on after the brunette wearing a guarded expression.

After five minutes of wandering, Alex swiftly came to the conclusion that she had no idea what she was looking for. They rounded down the next corridor into a hallway that only a series of rooms behind reinforced glass. Each room was only a few metres in width and depth with a single large, glass window. They put Alex in mind of prison cells.

Upon the revelation, Alex ground to a halt and caused Burke and Dogmeat to walk into her. "Wait a second."

Burke's irritation came in form of an intense whisper against her ear. "What now?"

"This isn't Sick Bay," the girl stated, overlooking Burke's obvious bad mood.

"Well then, where exactly are we?"

The situation continued to spin wildly out of control. "I don't know. This should have been the Sick Bay, right here." She flicked up the map on her Pip-Boy and indicated to their position. Burke leaned over Alex's small shoulder. Sure enough, three white blips winked at him on the map of Vault 87.

"We should just keep looking then," Burke suggested and gave Alex's back a sharp prod with his Scoped Magnum. Having little choice, Alex continued forward down the eerie corridor; apprehension and fear like a thick slime in the bottom of her stomach. It was not until Alex glanced into a room to the left and felt her blood run cold.

Something in the cell stared right back at the small mechanic from Vault 87. His fairly humanoid face had been completely distorted beyond recognition; a mask of horror and pain. Eyes bulged from his skull as if they were about to explode any second and his jaw stuck out at an odd angle like he had died screaming. Jade hues crawled along the sight; taking in everything from the misshapen fingers and waxy, yellow growths that inflated up in every different size imaginable. His skin looked as though it had been blended; patchy green skin mixed with peace coloured flesh. Broken Bones poked up through the patchy skin at sickeningly odd angles but not one drop of blood had soiled the floor.

The final push came when Alex noticed that the bottom half of the twisted remains was still adorned in a familiar blue denim jumpsuit.

It then occurred to the girl that the corpse had once been a resident of Vault 87.

Alex stumbled back from the glass and collapsed against the bulkhead opposite. The screams that assaulted her eardrums intensified with each passing second and it took a few moments for the girl to realise that the sound was coming from her own mouth. Beyond hysterical, Alex lashed wildly out at the hands that tried to help her.

"Shhh..Alex, calm down. Quit hitting me! You are safe with me. That's it my love, take a deep breath. And another. There, that wasn't so hard was it?"

Alex burrowed into Burke's chest as steady fingers stroked her finger in a soothing manner. Her chest rose and fell and irregular intervals, her pulse roared wildly in her ears and every fibre of her body shake and quake with unspoken fear.

Once the teenager was quiet, Burke released his grip on her and looked to the window that had frightened Alex so badly. He took in the image of the corpse in her stead; barely even flinching at such a horror. "The FEV virus. I should have foreseen this." he stated, voice barely even a whisper.

Alex looked up at the man. "FEV virus?" she asked. So silent were the halls that Alex's voice echoed through the darkened corridors.

"I had heard rumours that a few Vaults were experimenting with a new sort of virus. I did not believe them to be true."

"You seem to know a bit about everything out here," Alex remarked, trying to steady her trembling legs.

Burke opened his mouth to respond when suddenly a strange voice interrupted them over the intercom.

"Hello! Is someone there?"

Alex and Burke froze and looked to one another; completely and totally astounded. Still the voice continued with an almost pleading edge.

"If you can hear me, please, come talk to me. I'm in the furthest room from you."

"What should we do?" Alex whispered.

Burke paused to consider it for a moment and eventually, curiosity won out over common sense. "We should investigate it. Perhaps whoever that is will have some information on the G.E.C.K."

Alex thought about it. The plan sounded reasonable enough and the gods certainly knew that they were at loss finding the G.E.C.K. A brunette haired head tipped forward in a nod and the matter was swiftly decided.

They followed the vague directions of the voice to the letter; passing nothing particularly special apart from more FEV victims in isolation rooms and a rather bewildered looking centaur pacing up and down another. Just when Alex was about to throw her arms up in exasperation, Burke came across the being that had been summoning their attention.

Just when Alex thought that nothing could surprise her again, the Capital Wasteland threw her a curved ball.

A super mutant blinked out at a rather astonished Alex; looking as equally as lost by the sudden appearance of the two humans and their furry companion. Unlike the rest of his species, the super mutant stood just under seven feet tall; a mere midget compared to the nine or ten feet tall of his fellow kin. A shredded outfit of blue that had once been the denim uniform of a Vault 87 jumpsuit adorned his massive figure. Contrary to other Mutants Alex had come across, the one in the holding cell did not wear a bloodthirsty grin; rather only a look of confusion. Something oddly human glimmered in his small, shrunken eyes and won the teenager over instantly without question.

No one made a move. No one said a word. They could only sit and stare in silence at each other as the reality of what each party was seeing sunk it.

When the Super Mutant's large hand moved to the intercom, Burke's own would have moved for his Magnum had Alex not grabbed his coat clad arm in time.

"It cannot be! Either you are quite real or I am going quite mad!" The intercom crackled with the heavy tones of a Super Mutant voice. "Could you actually be pure humans?"

Alex swallowed. "Yes, we are. Who are you?"

The giant behind the glass pressed a hand to his chest as if there were a hundred Super Mutants in the room. "Me? You care who I am?"

"Well yeah. I like to know who I'm talking to," the smaller mechanic replied.

The Super Mutant continued to surprise the two humans with his impeccable grasp of the English language and manners. "Forgive me, but I'm not used to pleasantries. I'm more used to grunts and being struck about by the others. My name's Fawkes. I've lived in this... cage all my life." He stopped a moment and eyed up Mister Burke and Alex. "May I ask who you two are?"

The teenager managed a smile. "I'm Alex. This grumpy grouch is Mister Burke and that furry guy there is Dogmeat."

Fawkes bowed his dome-like head. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Burke's steel orbs narrowed. "Likewise." His tone was as cold as his eyes. "It is amazing how well you can speak," he continued with neither kindness nor appreciation.

"Yes. I suppose it is. When my captors placed me here, they were too stupid to realize this room contained a working terminal. I've spent all my life teaching myself to read and speak based on the information stored on the Vault's Mainframe. Ironic, isn't it? Surrounded by the world's history and yet my world consists of this tiny room."

Alex nodded. There was much she could relate to. "Why did they imprison you?" she asked.

"Because I'm a curiosity; an anomaly. They don't know why I'm different than they are and I think it fascinates them. All of the locked rooms in the medical wing contain failed experiments that they created," was the hard, grated reply of the Super Mutant.

"Who exactly are 'they?'" Mister Burke enquired with an air of interrogation. Fawkes shifted uncomfortably at the enquiry of the steel eyed, silver tongued man.

"But If you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine," Alex added in, glaring daggers at her male companion.

In the isolation room, Fawkes shook his head. "No, no. You are simply curious. This I can understand. I think it's safe to say that you were not expecting to find a Meta-Human down here in Vault 87."

"Well, not one that didn't want to make drumsticks out of us anyway," Alex pointed out. The "Meta-Human" let out a surprisingly warm laugh. So very different did it sound to the roaring laughs of the bloodthirsty Super Mutants she had encountered in the past.

"So, tell me friend. What are you doing down here?"

Alex and Burke exchanged a glance. "We're looking for something."

The skin on Fawkes's brow lifted where an eyebrow should have resided. "By 'something' I presume you mean the G.E.C.K."

"What do you know of it?" Alex questioned, green eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"I know what it is, I know where it is and best of all, I know how you can get your hands on it!"

Silver orbs had become nothing but slits when Mister Burke spoke again. "Why would you help us?"

"Because, you can help me. Let me out of this place. I can't take it anymore. I can't even recall how long I've been here. Release me and I shall deliver the G.E.C.K safely into your hands."

"It would be easier if we found it ourselves."

"The chamber that the G.E.C.K resides in is flooded with lethal radiation. It would prove fatal to you. I, however, would have little difficulty retrieving it for you since I am immune to such dangers."

"How can we be sure you will not depart should we let you out?" Burke questioned. Fawkes rolled his giant shoulders in a shrug.

"There's no way to prove it, you'll just have to take my word for it. I've already helped you by warning you about the radiation. Take that as a gesture of good faith. So what do you say?"

Alex forced Fawkes a rather strained smile and grasped Burke's arm. "Can you give us a moment?"

"By all means. I'm not going anywhere," the mutant said pleasantly. Alex dragged Burke back a few metres and left a very curious Dogmeat outside Fawkes's holding cell. The canine pawed the air in a sort of wave with a whine and the Meta-Human returned the gesture with a smile. So began the strange friendship of Fawkes and Dogmeat.

Around the corner out of earshot of Fawkes, Alex rounded onto Burke; ready to tear him down. "What the fuck was that all about?"

The man frowned at her use of such vulgar language but let it slide. "You know exactly what _that_ was about. He is a Mutant – he cannot be trusted."

"Hey! He's the first mutant that hasn't tried to kill us," Alex argued back, becoming more and more furious with each passing second.

"My dear girl, you simply cannot be that naive."

"Naive or not, he knows where the G.E.C.K is and is probably right about the radiation. I'm going to take up his deal."

Burke stared at Alex as if he were trying to determine if she had gone completely mad or just temporality insane. "You cannot trust him."

"Just watch me. If you don't want to take the risk, then go. I'll finish up here," the girl answered firmly.

Mister Burke grimaced. The latter became more and more unlikely.

In an effort to try and reason with the girl, Burke rubbed her shoulders in a soothing manner; pressing down deep into her muscles like a miniature massage. "All I am saying is that perhaps we should be a touch more cautious. We have little knowledge about this..._Meta-Human._" Alex didn't quite like the way he said "Meta-Human" but held her tongue. "He could easily destroy us once we release him," Burke continued

Jade orbs closed gently and Alex inhaled a deep breath. "That's not going to work on me this time," she stated, referring to Mister Burke's infamous magic touch. "I'm letting him out."

The man released her with some disappointment. "May I enquire why you put so much faith in him?" Burke asked.

"Because he's like me."

"I fail to see how."

A frown crossed Alex's grimy, blood spattered face "You wouldn't understand okay?" She met his stare; dark jade eyes more resolved and hardened than ever before. "I will give him his freedom. Just as I was given mine."

"I understand more than you give me credit for," Burke breathed as he struggled to hold back a snarl.

Alex kept her cool; certainly a task and a half for the mechanic. The man had become increasingly short-tempered the closer they got to finding the G.E.C.K and she failed to see the reason why. Something about the way his jaw clenched or the razor sharp edge to his voice made the young woman quite uncomfortable.

"Unless you've lived underground then you wouldn't have a clue," she answered.

"You presume much of me my dear." Alex had been with Burke long enough to know when he was veiling a threat.

"Stay or go. It's your choice. I know what I have to do," she said before side-stepping around the man and walking back to the isolation room. Burke watched her go and felt his lips deepen into a scowl.

How one woman could be so difficult and still be alive was a perfect mystery.

Swallowing his pride for the greater good, Burke called out to the retreating female. "Alex...Wait."

Alex stopped in her tracks and regarded him a moment. Burke took in a deep breath and managed a very small, very strained smile. "Forgive me. My nerves have been a little frayed of late."

An eyebrow cocked slightly. "A little?" Alex questioned almost playfully.

"Yes. Perhaps we should return to our new friend."

The girl dropped back into place by his side; a stray hand sneaking out to catch Burke's. "Thank you Burke. Really. I couldn't have gotten this far without you," she said with serenity that Burke was not accustomed to hearing in her voice. "And I'm sorry for snapping at you," she added as they arrived back in front of Fawkes interrogation cell.

"So my friends, have you considered my proposal?" an eager Fawkes asked the pair.

"Alright Fawkes, you've got a deal."

"Thank you. I am glad to see that you are sensible people."

"How can we get you out?"

"Unless you could hack the console to my cell, I'm afraid you'll have go about the long way. At the end of the hallway to your right is a maintenance room. Inside, you'll find the fire control console for the medical area. Trip the alarm on it, and I'll be able to get out. A word of warning though. Tripping the console activates a failsafe and will open ALL of the recovery rooms in the medical area. So, what do you think? Can you do it?"

Alex's lips curled into a smirk that neither Burke nor Fawkes found particularly comforting. Without a second word, Alex switched her attention onto the small computer attached to the Super Mutant's cell. For the second time that day, the Pip-Boy's connection cables were freed and slotted into the union ports of Fawkes's cell. The screen on the device lit up a bright orange in warning; a Vault-Tec exclamation mark had taken up the entire screen. "Alex lass, this console be crawlin' with beasties. Yeh sure about hackin' this thing?"

The mechanic nodded and looked to Fawkes. "Do whatever you can to get this cell door open."

Whilst Alex's device broke through firewalls, cracked encryptions and dodged viruses, the owner turned her attention back to Fawkes. "Where did you come from?"

"I was born here, in this place. I don't mean that in the literal sense of course. All I can remember is the excruciating pain that tore through me as my body underwent the rapid physical changes. For most, this moment is what severs the grip on their minds. They become barely a shell of their former selves. I was different. When I spoke to them, they immediately branded me "another failure" and had me placed here as a curiosity."

"I am still curious who 'they' are," Burke remarked.

"The humans that ran this facility."

Alex looked up from her Pip-Boy screen; shock plainly written across her face. "Hang on. You mean to tell me that Vault-Tec was part of this...experiment?"

"Yes. All members of the senior staff were briefed on the Forced Evolution Virus."

"So the Overseer of this place must have known."

"I assume so. You are from a Vault?"

"Yes. Vault 101."

"Then we are kindred spirits."

"How long have you been here?" Burke enquired. Fawkes gave a half hearted shrug.

"I am not entirely sure. My console had a calendar that I used to mark the passage of time. I have been here for nearly fifty years."

The mechanic let out a low whistle. "And I thought I had had it bad. Nineteen years is nothing compared to that," she said without looking up from the Pip-Boy.

"There, Now you have little reason to complain," Burke teased.

A russet haired head jerked upwards. "I'll complain if I want to, it's comforting," Alex shot back.

In that fraction of a second the girl tore her attention away from the glowing green screen of the Pip-Boy, the device suddenly flared bright enough to light the entire corridor with ruby red. A few moments later, the screech of the warning siren pulsated through the less than adequate speakers loud enough to make Alex's teeth throb. "What the hell is going on in there?" she fumed, pressing down on the buttons with enough strength to break them.

The ever faithful Pip-Boy managed to break through the static to get one last message across to his owner. "-ass! Cannae-...I need-...Vault-Tec-...Pan-dora's Virus-...Purge!..-forgive-e..."

Alex's sunk heart deeper than the Titanic.

The moment the screen went completely black, the door to Fawkes's isolation room slid open groaning like an old man. Alex was too caught up in the incident with her Pip-Boy to notice. No matter how hard she mashed buttons or how many times she clicked the Master Reset switch, the screen remained pitch black. Alex hoped against Pip-Boy mechanics 101 that it was a joke; a cruel prank to make up for earlier that morning. The longer the Pip-Boy remained emotionless, the more worked up the girl became and forgot about all thoughts of dignity.

"I'm so fucking stupid! I should have just used the fire alarms and not risked it!"

A terrible, awkward silence descended upon the group.

Burke lifted a hand up and rested it upon Alex's trembling shoulder, genuinely sorry for the female. "I am sure we can get...him repaired."

"It's not that simple. Pip-Boys are specialised equipment! You can't just take it to Flak and Shrapnel's or Moria's for repair." Alex snapped back, tears threatening to spill over.

Fawkes nodded his giant head. "I know how you feel friend. My own Pip-Boy was lost to me by the others. They stole her from my cell and destroyed her just to torture me. Despite my efforts, I could not repair her. I lost my best and only friend."

Alex continued to stare down her Pip-Boy; tears already splattered on the dead screen. So many memories. So many moments. All of them gone. All Alex possessed was the empty shell of her Pip-Boy, of her friend. The same familiar sensation of sorrow bubbled in her soul as it did with Jonas and her father. Though she was the one who had made the error, Alex thought it to be but another loved one she had lost indirectly to Project Purity.

The fact that he was a just Pip-Boy did not reach Alex at that point.

Burke squeezed Alex's shoulder again. "Please, do not cry. I shall get it fixed for you. I know just the people who could help."

"Who?" the girl asked with a sniff.

"I have a few connections. So come, let us go and find this G.E.C.K." He turned to face Fawkes. "I assume you know the way?"

Fawkes nodded. "Yes, I do. These halls are very familiar to me."

With that, the Super Mutant turned on his heel and headed up the corridor. Burke followed on behind looking quite uneasy Alex tagged along last on automatic pilot; alone with her grief. With few moments, she would glance at her wrist to see if the device had come back on. Each time the girl met the blank screen, it was like a kick to the gut. A whine escaped Dogmeat's throat and Alex jumped. She had nearly forgotten all about him. "Least I still have you boy," she cooed softly. The husky let out a playful little woof and wagged his tail happily.

He was a poor replacement.

* * *

Fawkes abruptly stopped and turned around to face Alex and Burke. His tight grip upon his sledge hammer tensed even more and Alex could not help but wonder what was beyond the corridor. She peered around the green giant with interest. The walls beyond had been replaced with glass rather than steel. The girl could make out the glowing globules of radioactive fluids and the green haze of radiation.

She was glad she was not going in.

"Okay. You stay here. Beyond this door, the hallways and chambers are flooded with radiation. I'll get the case and bring it right back. Keep your eyes open, many of my lesser-minded brethren are bound to stumble across us," Fawkes warned before shouldering his sledge hammer that weighed twice what Alex did. The pair watched him depart through the maze of glass panels and solid walls without a word.

For the second time that afternoon, Alex slumped to the ground as if she would never get up again.

"Are you okay?" Burke questioned, checking the floor beneath him before sitting down.

"Not really no."

"I did not think so.

"This Project Purity thing is getting really old," she remarked, idly examining the scuffs on her steel plated boots. Mister Burke removed his hat to wipe his damp brow.

"I shall be glad once we are finished here."

"How long did you say to Tenpenny you would be gone for?"

"One week."

"Great, you've still got some vacation time left."

"Perhaps once we are finished here, we could take a trip north."

"There's nothing up there. It's just ruins."

"You are correct. There is nothing up there but the Institute"

Alex's pupils expanded until they had nearly engulfed her jade eyes. "You're not serious are you?"

"I am."

"But the Commonwealth is very exclusive. You can't just walk in."

Burke gave her a sly little smile. "My dear girl, I have connections in the Institute. Many in fact. I know just the man who could fix your Pip-Boy."

"Who! Tell me!" Alex all but demanded. "One of my most trusted friends. His great grandfather had been a...scientist for years before the Third World War. The knowledge was passed down the family bloodline. If anyone could fix it, he can."

Alex could have kissed him. In fact, had Fawkes not just rounded the corner carrying a Vault-Tec briefcase, Alex would have most likely jumped him.

"As promised, here's the G.E.C.K. I hope it's worth it."

Fawkes miserably handed over the briefcase to Alex - who held as if it were her first born child. Fingers trembled as she clasped the case to her chest like she would never let go. It was certainly not what she had expected. It was almost a disappointment; the famous Garden Of Eden Creation Kit was nothing more than a seventeen inch briefcase with the Vault-Tec logo stamped upon the front.

It felt like such a poor substitute for losing the use of her Pip-Boy.

"All my dad worked for. Everything he pained for. It all depends on this. Thank you."

"Well, I'm afraid this is where we must part company."

"You're leaving?"

"I'll find my way out of this place, don't worry. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere in the Wasteland."

"We thank you for your assistance."

"No I thank you. Had you not come along, I would have most likely gone mad."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"No, a Super Mutant would not be welcome in the places you would visit. I would just get you into unnecessary trouble or get you killed."

Burke turned to Alex. "He is right. I am afraid that most people would not be as understanding as you. I hardly doubt that Mister Tenpenny would be too thrilled if we brought a Super Mutant home. Nor would Gustavo."

A glimmer of mischief sparked in her hues of jade. "It would be funny to see their faces if we did."

"Alex." The troublesome girl winced at the warning in his voice and turned her attention back to the Super Mutant

"Well, if you're sure Fawkes. Oh, do you know how to get out of here?"

Fawkes jerked a large thumb towards a corridor to the right. "That way will let you double back to the medical wing and through the living quarters," he said weakly.

"What will you do?" Alex asked.

Fawkes's massive jaw clenched; the veins straining against the cords and muscles of his neck. "I shall clean out this Vault before leaving," he answered with little love in his voice.

"Well, good luck Fawkes."

"And you."

With that, Alex met the back of the super mutant as he left; 87 printed upon his back. Though she held the G.E.C.K close to her hammering heart, Alex did not feel the complete rush of success that she had figured would come once she laid her hands upon the unassuming briefcase.

It was but a bitter sweet victory.

Burke gave his female a little tug on the arm. "We should probably depart as well. Take that back to the Brotherhood of Steel." The girl nodded. It would have been a lie to say that she was uneasy about handling such a valuable piece of equipment. Alex felt charged with a nervous anticipation that did not sit well with her stomach. Thinking nothing of it, Alex picked up her discarded Plasma rifle and juggled her two items together so that the Plasma rifle was swinging on her shoulder and the G.E.C.K was secured under her arm as carelessly as she would to a sack of grain.

"You wish for me to carry that?" Burke indicated to the G.E.C.K clamped to Alex's side.

"Too much has been lost for me to leave here with nothing," she replied, thinking of her Pip-Boy. So lonely did she feel without him, without knowing that he was always there for her even when everything was falling apart. It was as if a friend had died; a living, breathing friend with blood and veins and a heart rather than just a fancy computer component.

As they covered the final distance, Alex could only ask whatever god was listening why exactly she thought that way about him. After all, he was but a machine; a programme built for combat and data collection and storage. He had circuits instead of veins, electricity instead of blood and a motherboard instead of a heart. He did not breathe. He did not bleed. Alex was not even sure if He was really a he.

There was nothing remotely human about him.

But then again, did he not fear for her? Did he not get become jealous of Mister Burke? Was he not aware of what he was? Did he not want more from life? So many different questions tugged at Alex in every different direction that she did not know how to answer.

The girl had been so very caught up in her musings that Alex did not hear Burke's yell of warning when she entered a large, seemingly empty room. Before he could pull her back, a small glowing orb dropped down in front of Alex. Her first thought was to move but the signal did not get to her brain in time. She could do nothing but stare stupidly when suddenly exploded in a bright light of blue pulses and pain. Alex felt as if her head had just been slammed into a brick wall; her heartbeat suddenly magnified a thousand times in her ear and her eyes struggled to gain focus. Her legs buckled under the force of the explosion and Alex was forced to the ground in an ungraceful heap. The G.E.C.K case crunched against her chest; one arm still curled around tightly like she would never let go.

__

_The Enclave? What are they doing here? _

Faithful till the last, Dogmeat threw himself in seconds after the explosion. As Alex lay trembling and shaking in the aftermath of the grenade, she was suddenly met with the furry underbelly of the husky mongrel; his body positioned in a defensive stance over his owner. Powerful jaws snapped and fur bristled; poised and ready to strike.

Four Enclave soldiers in Power Armour filled into the room, seemingly filling up the entire room to Alex's wavering vision. So swift and agile were they that one soldier had kicked Dogmeat across the room before the husky dog could blink. He hit the wall with a hard thump and a gasp of air escape Alex's torso in protest. A second soldier shouldered his rifle and gasped Dogmeat by the scruff of his neck; twisting the folds of skin. Dogmeat let out another yelp and fell silent.

They wasted little time in subduing Mister Burke for he was out of ammo and strength. Perhaps it was because he knew it was coming. More likely it was because he knew there was little use in resisting the Titanium clad soldiers. One of them hissed something through his mask and Burke tensed in their grip; recognising the voice of the soldier adorned in the metal shell.

"Don't make things worse for yourself Captain. You're in enough trouble as it is."

It took a moment for the teenager to realise what was happening.

_The son of a bitch! He knows them!_

At that moment, Alex did not know what hurt more; her body or her heart.

"Area is secure sir. All clear."

"Good work soldier."

Then a fourth man entered the room, a man that Alex did not ever expect to see again. Colonel Autumn stared down at the writhing teenager upon the floor; his mouth fixed into a smile. Finally, Alex got a better look at her father's killer. He was younger than she imagined him to be, at least five years younger than her own father. Bright silver hair glimmered in the abnormally bright lighting of the room; trimmed and tidy like everything else about the Enclave commander. Startlingly vivid emerald eyes stared back at her; the rare kind without a hint of another colour.

_Why isn't he dead?_

Dogmeat snarled in the direction of the Enclave Colonel, blood dripping out of his mussel where the boot had impacted his jaw but he could do nothing else under the death grasp of the Enclave soldier.

Colonel Autumn crouched down to the girl's level and Alex winced when a cold, gloved fingertip touched her forehead carefully. She would have considered a gesture gentle had it come from any other person.

"You're certain she's unharmed?" said the Colonel asked in his commanding, southern tone.

"Yes sir. She will pass out shortly but we can revive her."

"Excellent. Prepare her and the G.E.C.K for transport immediately." He turned his attention back to the teenager. "We've been looking for you little Miss Halsey. We require your assistance."

"You're supposed...to be dead," Alex croaked out, her strength fleeing with her sight as she fought for the rights of consciousness. The Colonel quirked a smile.

"I'm very sorry to disappoint you." It was only then did Autumn make any indication that he had noticed the man known as Mister Burke – or rather Captain Burke. In fact, as the scene played out, everybody forgot he was there apart from the soldier who held him in his grasp.

"And as for you Captain. Good work. I always knew a Deserter could be of some use to us."

Still, Alex continued to cling on until the last. "W-What...what are you talking about?" Alex she again, her throat a painful rasp.

"He led us right to you girl."

"Do not believe anything he says Alex," Burke stated, his eyes an even darker shade of bluish grey; like gathering storm clouds over the ocean sea.

"Of course. And the word of a Deserter Captain is true honestly?"

_You're lying! I know you are! He would never betray me like that! _Her mind shrieked because her voice could not. She wanted to kick and scream in fury. She wanted to kill an Enclave or two. Or several. It was not fair. All her was hard work gone from the moment they prised the G.E.C.K for her grasp.

Victory was gone.

Hope was dashed.

For the first time in nineteen years, Alex felt hopelessly defeated.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Revelations

**Far out! This has taken like 930284309785092334 million years to write. I really hated this chapter because I had to do heaps from memory alone. It has been seven months since I have played Fallout 3. My brother returned back to the UK early then bragged about all the new mods that had come out. Burke companion Mod me wantie!!! At least I'm heading back next month.**

**Anyways, not too much to say apart from the fact that I death loath this chappie. Too many holes. Too many errors. Too many mess ups. I've attempted to clean up what I can but since it's all done from memory, it's been really tricky. My apologies if this chapter is not up to previous standards. Proofing as usual is done to my bestest ability but I still miss stuff out no matter what!**

**On a lighter note, Thank you all for the love and support that you've given me. Just yesterday, I received my 100th review for this baby! Thanks to all those who've read and an even bigger thanks to the following:** **Weretiger Marduk**, **NovemberRabbit****, PixieButt, Reader :D, Iofiel, netbreaker0, Necromancer Staff,** **MysticGohan88**,**Mr Wang 330** **and ****Shinsou808**

**Special shout out to Kimmae for all the encouragement and awesome reviews. "Fallout 3: I am Alpha and Omega" is so worth a read. It's like 100000000X times than mine and deserves much more love and attention. OMG! The proofing is just great! Also, thanks for letting me fling in Ana as well. You're awesome. Keep on rockin'**

**Oh also, as usual, be sure to check out these other fics: ****"Fallout: Red Sun" by Shinsou808, "Diamonds and Rust" by Agent Hellgirl, "Fallout 3: The Avenger" by Mr Wang 330, "The Ghoul, The Bad and The Ugly" by InRodWeTrust, "Excavation" by Kosmokomik and "The Lone Wanderer" by LovelyxxMelody! "Fallout 3: The Twilight Saint" by MysticGohan88. **

* * *

**Fallout 3: **The Wayward Soldier

Today's Chapter is Inspired By:  
**"All heads are bowed in silence  
To remember her last sentence  
She answered him knowing what would happen  
Her last words still hanging in the air"  
-Flyleaf, "Cassie"**

**Chapter Eleven: **Revelations.

* * *

**Pip-Boy Serial Number**: ....  
**Current Time: **....**  
Current Date**: ....  
**Current Location**: .....

"Do you mind Colonel? I am trying to work here."

"I need to speak to her."

"Once I have woken her up properly, you can."

Someone was toeing Alexandra Halsey in the gut. It could not have been Dogmeat, who pounced or Amata, who tapped. It certainly was not Burke who snuggled or there was more chance of hell freezing over before it was James. Alex scrunched her eyes shut even tighter just to spite whoever was disturbing her rest. Despite Alex's pathetic attempts to plead ignorance, the jabbing against her stomach continued.

"Go away. I'm trying to sleep" Alex moaned, jerking her arms slightly to work out the kinks in her muscles and tendons. It was then that Alex felt the heavy weights upon her bony wrists.

"Get up girl. You've been sleepin' long enough," came the demand wrapped in a southern pitched parcel. Bloodshot jade hues snapped awake at the sudden intrusion of the voice and Alex found herself on metal tiled floor of Raven Rock, home to the Enclave.

A man and a woman stared at her; one hesitant and one impatient. Alex stared at them with bewilderment, wondering what on earth they were doing hanging upside down. It took a few moments for Alex to realise she was flat on her back, sprawled out inelegantly. She sat up quickly and immediately regretted it for the blood pulsed to her cranium so swiftly she feared her head would explode. Then, a rush of nausea kicked her in the stomach and she turned away just in time to empty the contents of her stomach onto the floor.

A hand found Alex's back and rubbed gently.

"Don't worry, that's perfectly normal That's it, get it all out."

It took several moments for Alex to vomit up the lime favoured liquid from the depths of her stomach. The woman, a blonde-dyed doctor with pretty curls, rubbed her back the entire time with a familiarity that Alex found oddly disturbing. She reached up to wipe her mouth, only to find that her wrists were twice as heavy as they should have been. Heavy titanium handcuffs adorned her wrists like a set of oversized bracelets. It was then that she noticed her Pip-Boy was gone.

The Lone Wanderer looked around the holding cell. It was bleak and barren, roughly the same size as a Vault-Tec standard issue living room and devoid of any source of colour. A single bed was pushed the wall, a chair to the left and an empty desk to the right. Several large, rectangular cases were piled up next to a stray locker that looked frightfully out of place Near the door was a single, sphere-like shaped device mounted upon the wall that put Alex in mind of a security camera. The room itself smelled listless and sterile as if someone had died in there recently and they were still scrubbing out the scent of death. A plate of food sat a near her, steam still rising up from the mountain of sweet corn and potatoes; enough to drive off the notion of a hunger strike but the mere sight of it made Alex queasy again.

"Give us the room," the man stated.

The doctor did not budge, seemingly afraid to leave the Colonel alone with the teenager.

_Please, don't leave me with this creep._

"Now Doctor," he commanded firmly. The blonde woman released a sigh and gathered up her medical equipment in her arms. The woman cast one last hesitant glance at the girl before she exited the cell with a sliding hiss.

Though the infamous Colonel glared down at the dazed young woman, the thought of hating him just did not occur to Alex. In fact, she could not even remember who exactly he as his name eluded Alex in her bemused and drugged state. Her mind still swirled about like a leaf caught inside a hurricane.

"W-where am I?"

"You're in Raven Rock," answered the silver haired man.

Alex licked her dry, sandpaper-like lips. "W-What happened?" the girl asked her father's killer.

"I'll tell you what happened. You lost. The good guys won this one and now we're just wrapping up loose ends. We've got the purifier, the G.E.C.K and now all we need is the code to start it. You're going to give me that code now and save us all a whole lot of trouble. Maybe I'll even let you go. So how about it?"

The mechanic blinked vacantly. It was clearly not the reaction or answer Colonel Autumn had been waiting for. "What code?"

Colonel Autumn frowned irritably. "The code to get Project Purity running again. Your father locked us out."

"I don't understand."

He sighed. "I'll be honest here, I'm growing tired of this and I'm not looking to play games with you little girl. I know who you are. I know you are James Halsey's daughter. I know you were there, at Project Purity. I also know that you know exactly what I am talking about." His curt, demanding words cut the bolt on the memories and events that were locked up within Alex's churning, turbulent mind. Everything suddenly slotted back into place as easily as a jigsaw puzzle and Alex was not sure what emotion to feel first.

Then, she felt the all too familiar geyser of hate erupt in her chest

"I don't know," Alex breathed, inches away from embarking on a verbal rampage.

"Excuse me?"

The girl found her lost courage. "I don't know shit! And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you anything," she spat at the Colonel. Just for good measure, she kicked a nearby food tray in the Colonel's general direction. Mashed potatoes, sweet corn and strawberry jelly painted the floor and the nose of Autumn's boot in a multicoloured mess. To her great dismay, Autumn merely cocked an eyebrow as if he had heard it all and more. As the commander of the Enclave armed forces, he probably had.

"Why do you insist on being so difficult?"

"I already told you! I don't know anything!"

Autumn's green eyes flashed. Never in his forty years in the Enclave Armed Forces was he ever required to raise his voice. The old Colonel considered it to be a counterproductive measure that very rarely worked. Now, he looked more stressed than ever before.

"I think you're lying,"

Alex's legs trembled inside her denim. "I think you're a gelded pig," she snarled, seemingly determined to make things worse for herself.

"Don't get smart mouthed with me," Colonel Autumn warned with his already short temper straining.

"You stole my parent's project. Bragged about it on the radio. Followed me to Vault 87 then stole my hard work and effort. To top it all off, you killed my dad! I have every right to get smart mouthed at you!" the girl fumed, her breath escaping in short, sharp gasps.

Autumn's hand twitched as if he longed to reach for a weapon. Or perhaps the pushy young mechanic. Most likely both. "Is that what you really think girl? That your father is dead?"

Jade orbs turned to nothing more than narrowed green slits, like the green eyes of a snake. "I know he is dead. You are the stupid son of a bitch that killed him." Autumn snapped quicker than anyone could have guessed. He strode across the small room and hauled the teenager to her uneasy feet. Alex's shaking legs nearly buckled under the weight and his grip dug sharply into her skin even though he was wearing gloves. "What the hell are you doing?" Alex demanded fiercely to mask the fear that crept into her voice.

"Come with me. I have someone who is dying to see you," the Colonel stated, pushing the girl out of the room none too gently. Outside the cell, two Enclave officers dressed in the traditional tanned uniform and black caps were waiting for them. Both extremely tall and built like tanks, they easily dwarfed Alex and made the young woman feel rather small. The soldiers ushered her forward; sandwiching Alex between them so she had no chance to escape. The concept was laughable; there was no escape. She attempted to squish her fear and misgivings – a challenge and a half for the girl. She wished for her Pip-Boy, reluctant to go into the unknown alone. Never before had she felt so wrong and out of place and Alex would have certainly preferred to have someone to share her fears.

Had she not been so jittery and scared, Alex might have enjoyed wandering through the Fortified Enclave base. The Headquarters for America's armed forces was everything the girl had expected it to be; advanced, tidy and orderly. Something about the place reminded her of Vault 101 in better and calmer days. The floor beneath her feet was made of metal grates, the support beams were of fortified titanium and thick tubes of glowing blue lights were mounted upon the walls every few feet between. Men and woman alike passed them, dressed in either metal cases of power armour or sand coloured uniforms that only made them seem more imposing. Alex followed the tanned back of Colonel Autumn as she could do nothing else.

The soldier beneath Alex noticed her tense shoulders and spoke up. "This is the prison level. We're going up to the science wing," he informed her. A tense moment passed before Alex spoke up.

"How big is this place?" The girl winced, barely able to recognise her own voice.

The kind officer answered as they went up a flight of stairs. "This base is divided into two different sections. This is the military compartment of the Enclave. The civilian deck is below us and has nearly four or five levels. That is where the non-commissioned officers and other civilians live."

They went up elevators and along several corridors before Colonel Autumn halted the strange brigade. Alex peered around with interest, wishing she had several extra pairs of eyes. A brief glance around indicated that they were in the medical bay. The blonde doctor was patrolling around with a clip board, taking notes on the various tanks around X-Rays.

A team of scientists looked up at their commanding officer, their body posture sheepish and twitchy within their radiation suits. Clearly they had not been expecting a visit from the good Colonel that morning.

"Colonel Autumn. What brings you here sir?"

The silver haired colonel gestured to the teenager. "She's here to see our guest."

The bubble headed scientist nodded. "Come this way Miss Halsey."

Unable to do anything but obey, Alex followed them; her stomach knotted together in anticipation. She wondered who on earth could have been down in the Enclave prison with her. Some part of the teenager wished it were Burke, another part wished to never have to see him again. Conflicting emotions slammed into the teenager, discomfort and betrayal clear as day on her face. Her Pip-Boy had been right all along and Alex could only imagine what he would say if he knew. Her gut clenched at the thought of how much he would berate her foolishness.

They stopped outside a small, single bedded ward that was filled to the brim with medical equipment. A pair of surgical gloves along with needles of every size lay on a tray near an infirmary bed. Mountains and bottles of medication were piled up on every surface. Disinfectant stung her like a slap to the face, the scent overpowering.

James Halsey lay on the cubical bed before her, looking haggard and somewhat thin but very much alive. His hair seemed greyer than usual and there was something defeated and sad about him. His shoulders slumped even more and he wore a mask of diluted anguish.

Alex took in a breath; sucking the cold air between her teeth.

It was not a dream.

"Dad?" she asked hesitantly as if she expected him to disappear any second.

James startled at the sound of her voice. "Alex sweetie? Is that you?"

The skinny, scrawny legs of Alexandra Halsey carried her forward before the thought reached her brain. Shackled and all, Alex practically jumped at her father. James coiled his arms around her like a comforting blanket, nuzzling into her brunette locks. "Oh god, they got you too," James croaked into Alex's nest of messy locks. A thousand emotions crashed against Alex like an angry wave against a sea wall. She bit back a sob but could not stop the tears from rolling down her suntanned cheeks. "I missed you so much," Alex whispered against her father's chest, the "tough girl visage" she had clung to erased completely.

"So did I honey. Are you okay? Have they harmed you?"

"Only my pride."

The old doctor hugged her again, taking care not to pull out his I.V drips.

"I'm so glad you're safe. I was so worried about you."

"What about you? I thought you were dead."

James wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I thought I was dead as well."

Some part of Alex's common sense spoke up and she pulled out of his hug. "But I saw you die. How on earth could you survive?"

The older man looked over his daughter towards Colonel Autumn – who had been watching the entire scene play out with obvious interest from the doorway. "I have the Colonel to thank for that. He saved me as well as himself."

Autumn gave a smirk. "Yes I did. You think he would be a little more grateful."

James fired Autumn a scowl that was unfamiliar even to his daughter. "You're holding my daughter here as insurance. I'll never be grateful for that."

"The sooner you give us that code, the sooner you can both leave."

The lone wanderer frowned, feeling the conversation swell over her head. "That Code thing again. What is he talking about Dad?"

For the first time in nineteen years, James ignored his daughter. "And hand Project Purity over to the Enclave, never." For a sick and frail looking man, James Halsey stilled carried every ounce of strength and integrity that could stand toe-to-toe with Colonel Autumn's demanding and commanding mannerisms. "I'd like some time alone with my daughter if you don't mind Autumn," James addressed the Enclave Colonel in a manner that seemed almost personal, as if he had known the silver haired man for years.

"Alright, you get five minutes," Autumn relented, clearly unhappy with the request. However, he stepped back out of the room and allowed the father and Daughter to catch up. Once the smooth and crisp hiss of the hydraulic door had passed, James grasped Alex's small shoulders and stared straight into the teenager's jade hues.

"Alex listen to me, I love you sweetie. You're so important to me but, please, forgive me."

The brunette clutched her father's arm. His peculiar behaviour was troubling, even to his daughter. "For what? You're acting weird."

"I can't give them the code for Project Purity honey, I couldn't live with myself if I did."

Alex's heart plummeted deep within her chest. "What do you mean?"

"The Enclave have brought you here as leverage against me, to get me to give them the code to Project Purity."

"And you won't give it to them?"

"No honey."

The teenager's stare hardened, her eyes like a set of black stones. "Even if they threatened me? Kill me even?"

"Alex, Project Purity is bigger than us. It always has been. It's your mother's dream. Do you really want the Enclave to claim what your mother worked so hard on?"

Tears of rage and disbelief pricked at the corners of Alex's eyes. "Of course I don't, but I don't think mum would have been stupid enough to be fine with her only kid being killed some daft principle," Alex shot back, getting fired up again.

It seemed to have more often than not.

James's usually warm eyes flashed with anger. "Alex! Show some respect for your mother!"

"She's dead Dad. I doubt she minds," the teenager pointed out.

"Oh my child, how can I make you understand?"

"I won't ever understand that you could put this Project Purity ahead of me. You're own flesh and blood."

James looked torn between honour and survival, a guise that Alex was not accustomed to seeing written over her father's face. "I gave up the Capital Wasteland for you once before, I can't do it again."

Alex gave a gesture of an exasperated shrug, fury fiercer than any storm gathered in her eyes.

He could not blame her.

"So that's it is it? You're gonna throw me to the wolves then? Let the Enclave slaughter me because you're too caught up in honour?"

Brown eyes narrowed. "Has the Wasteland made you cruel as well? What happened to my daughter? She would have understood what we were trying to do. She would understand why the Enclave cannot be allowed this power." Alex turned away from James, obviously hurt by his comment. Her jade orbs large and glistening and small teeth peeked out over her lip, biting bitter tears into submission. "Great, just great. First Amata, then Burke and now you! Is there anyone out there who is not trying to fuck me over?" Alex snarled, spitting poison from her voice. Before James could utter another word, the girl stepped backwards to the door and rapped the titanium door with her knuckles. Against the cold door, her fingers were that of ice.

A panicked gasp escaped James's lungs and the old doctor felt even more helpless than before. "Sweetie, please. Listen to me."

"No! You listen! I went after the G.E.C.K not for honour or for the Wasteland but for you! Because I thought you were dead! I did it to get back at them!"

When the door slid back open, Alex stared with resentful disbelief at the grey, frail looking man that was her father. A vast emptiness and darkness ripped open inside her that could never be filled, the pain of the betrayal immeasurable.

Before Alex could put a muzzle on her temper, she bared her teeth into a snarl. "You were better off dead to me!"

* * *

The brunette was unsure just how she managed to get back to the holding cell in the Enclave prison district. That much was a complete mystery to the teenager. Most likely the officers escorting her had ushered her back to the cold cubicle while Alex was in a daze.

Once she was standing back in the cell, the cold air nipping bitterly at her exposed skin, Alex threw herself onto the bed and wept until not one tear remained. She didn't care if the security cameras recorded her moment of weakness. Life and dignity and honour swiftly became nothing but empty words to the teenager. Burke suddenly did not matter. Dogmeat suddenly did not matter. Even her Pip-Boy was shoved into the backseat of Alex's mind. Alone in the Enclave Prison, Alex experienced the worst rage she had ever felt. She knew she had a temper problem but never had she felt so infuriated, so willing to kill over it. Alex ripped off the blankets from the hard steel bed and threw them onto the floor in a spasm of rage. The girl then started on the pillows. She burst open the lumpy cushions with a shred like a crack from a whip. The torn pillows joined and mingled with the blankets along with the inner sheet. When there was nothing else to rip and shred, Alex sat breathing heavily as if she had surfaced from drowning.

After the anger came the sorrow and betrayal. Alex felt so tightly wrapped in what had just occurred that her beat could barely beat.

"_You poor girl. Seems life has dealt you a bum hand if you don't mind me sayin'"_

The teenager stilled at the intrusion of a friendly and smooth male voice, the kind that put her in mind of warm summer afternoons in American urban paradise. Alex looked around the room, blinking with confusion. When her ears met the roar of silence, Alex assumed she was going insane and the thought alone brought her more comfort that it should have.

"Great, now I'm hearing voices. Never had that one before."

"_You're not hearing voices dear girl. I am most certainly here,"_ the voice spoke up again.

Alex stood up from the bed abruptly, the mess of sheets and fluff forgotten at her feet. "Who's there?" she asked, feeling foolish.

The previously lifeless sphere-like security camera suddenly whirled to life. The metallic eyeball swivelled on the wall, the single glowing blue point focused on the stunned teenager then to the room behind her.

"_I do apologise for your accommodations. Next time I have a free moment, I shall see to it that you are moved to a more comfortable location."_ Nothing in his words indicated that he was lying.

For a moment, Alex forgot her avalanche of problems. "Thanks...uhm?"

"_John Henry Eden. I assume that you have heard me on the Enclave radio station."_

Alex had heard very well. She had destroyed Burke's radio after hearing the president spout his lies about Project Purity. "Once or twice. I broke a radio after hearing you brag about my parents Project Purity."

The camera drooped slightly in its mounted slot. _"I'm sorry about that. I had not meant it to come out sounding quite so one dimensional."_

"I'll bet."

An embarrassed cough escaped the device on the wall. _"Anyway my young friend, I think it's high time we met face to face. I'd like to invite you to my office. There is much we need to discuss."_

The girl held up her shackled hands. "I can't go anywhere with these on."

"_Of course, I'll unlock your restraints. Oh and all your equipment is in that locker over there. Please, don't tarry."_ The vivid blue point in the camera dulled and it became lifeless once again. Curious still, Alex approached the mechanical sphere and reached up her heavy hands to touch it. Without warning, the titanium shackles on her wrist slid from her wrist so suddenly and silently that Alex jumped when they hit the ground with a thump.

An investigation in the steel cabinet provided Alex with all of her confiscated equipment. Even the gear and supplies from Burke's tan jeep was carefully folded or slid into the locker. She discarded the grey Enclave jumpsuit, trading it in for her tough denim and sturdy overcoat. Alex looked and felt as if she were going to war. Frag grenades were clipped to her belt, ammo belts slung over her shoulder, handful of microfusion cells stuffed into every spare pocket, a combat knife slid onto her boot and two glowing green plasma bombs were just some of the many weapons hidden inside and outside of Alex's coat.

Once she felt ready to face the world, Alex left with holding cell feeling positive and strong again. A coat-full of weapons would do wonders to ones diminished confidence. From the second that Alex stepped out of the prison cell, the voice sounded out overhead from more of the small, spherical cameras on the walls and ceilings.

"_Attention all Raven Rock Personnel. This is your president. I've asked our young friend from Vault 101 up to my office. Do not impede her progress. Thank you." _

The mere irony of the situation left Alex feeling uneasy. While Colonel Autumn had been rude and demanding, treating the girl as if she were a raider criminal, the president of the Enclave acted as if she were sort of honoured guest. It was not the type of behaviour Alex was used to nor would she expect from the president of the Enclave.

Navigating through the blue lit corridors of the Enclave's base command was surprisingly easy for the young teenager from Vault 101. Some part of her instincts had not been lost from wandering through the Capital wasteland. Walking through corridors, catwalks and passageways were second nature to Alex and for once in her life, she was grateful she had been brought up in a vault. A mere Wastelander would have been lost forever in the endlessly barren corridors of Raven Rock.

Alex had only reached the third level of Raven Rock when the overhead speakers sounded off again. Instead of the dapper, warm voice of the president pulsing through Alex's eardrums, the harsh tones of her least favourite of the Enclave's members pierced her skull.

"_Attention all Raven Rock Personnel. This is Colonel Autumn. You are hereby ordered to ignore the president's last directive. The prisoner from Vault 101 is to be shot on sight. I repeat: Shot on sight."_

A set of burly soldiers in the tanned uniform had only been seconds passing Alex. She froze when the announcement cut off for they turned around to face her. Alex felt as if someone had cracked an egg on her head. The ghastly feeling of a well executed trap slid down her spine and instincts drove the teenager to strike first before they did. She spun around and using the momentum from her waist, Alex hit the first officer squarely in the jaw. He stumbled backwards; stunned that such a small person could pack so much strength into a single punch. Alex was startled as well, she had not known her own strength.

The second officer froze like a deer caught in headlights, clearly shocked that his companion had been toppled so quickly. An opportunist at heart, Alex was not one to pass up an advantage. She reached out and grasped the second officer by his shoulders and embedded her knee into his gut. When he fell to the ground, clearly winded, Alex reached to her belt for a spare pistol so not to waste Rifle ammo. A shot from her hand gun silenced them both for good. Five months ago, such an act of violence would have pulled and tugged at Alex's conscience. Now, she could easily kill another without batting an eyelid.

After all, they would have had no problem doing the same.

When the corridor was empty and lifeless, the girl dropped the pistol and fed a cell into the chamber of her Plasma Rifle. The gun spun to life in her gloved hands, the green glow reflecting off every surface. It was impossible to be stealthy with the Plasma Rifle. "Geez, it just never ends," Alex hissed, still half expecting an answer from her Pip-Boy. She looked down the corridor again, her eyes narrowed and calculating.

Déjà Vu struck Alex like the punch to the face. Darkened corridors beckoned her forward, sirens screaming overhead and every officer baying for her blood seemed all too sickeningly familiar to the young woman. Blurred memories from the escape from Vault 101 reared its ugly head like a bad nightmare, forcing a shiver down Alex's back and a chill in her stomach. Back then, everything seemed so very easy. She had been a different person. Spoiled maybe, immature yes. Her objective was clear. Her path was open. As much as she hated to admit it, The Capital Wasteland had changed her for the better.

She continued down another foyer, meeting more stiff resistance along the way. Alex had expected nothing less. After all, she was parading around Raven Rock, home to the Enclave. She would have been extremely disappointed had she not met some kind of opposition.

Alex stepped around yet another corner, both her rifle and spirits high. She had only two levels to go before she reached the president's office.

There was only one problem in her way.

Someone was standing directly in front of Alex, the nose of his gun quite at home against the swell of her chest.

Only one other person could have been possibly that bold.

It was Burke, looking just as surprised to see her as she did him.

"Alex," he breathed and lowered the stolen laser rifle, unable to sound any more relived even if he had tried.

"Burke," she whispered, intense relief flooding her features for the briefest of seconds.

Then his betrayal flared up like a thousand wounds. She was angry at him for keeping information from her. Angry at her father for choosing the Wasteland over her. Angry at the world for shouldering her with so much burden and bad luck. "Let's get something straight Burke. I don't ever want to see you, speak to you or even breathe the same air as you again! Got it!?"

"Alex, you must listen -"

The teenager cut Burke off before he cut any deeper. "Don't you 'Alex' me! I thought I could trust you! I thought we were friends! In fact, I thought we were more than that! How could you keep such a massive secret from me?!"

Burke took a step towards her. Alex stepped back, plasma rifle raised dangerously. "I had meant to tell you but I never had the chance," Burke insisted.

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Yeah right. Never once did you even hint that you had been part of this."

A dry laugh escaped Burke's chest. "It is hardly conversation one can strike up over coffee."

"Whatever Burke. I can't be bothered dealing with your secrets and lies anymore. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a meeting with the president," Alex said furiously before starting to walk past if as if they had simply stopped in the corridor for a quick chat. Seconds later, Burke's hand coiled around her wrist with enough force to snap apart the bones beneath her skin. This time there was no Pip-Boy to rescue her. "What have I told you about walking away when we are trying to have a conversation?_" _

Furious still, Alex wretched her arm back from grip. He hung tight. "I'm warning you Burke. Let me go," she hissed. It was as if they had both forgotten that they were standing in the middle of an Enclave corridor with every man, woman and robot looking for the stroppy teenager.

"Not until you listen."

She tugged again, eyes prickling with tears. "No, get off!"

Burke increased the pressure on her wrist. "When you listen to what I have to say, I will."

"I don't want to hear it!"

He caught the second one and jerked Alex forward. "You will listen to what I have to say or by god I will make things difficult for you," Mister Burke hissed, every polite visage drained away completely. Alex felt a sudden thrill of fear canter down her spine. Never had she seen in act in such a way, or pour such fire onto his words. It both excited and terrified her at the same time. "I never betrayed you Alex. Yes, I can admit fully that I was an Enclave officer but it has been many years since I was in their service. I fled long ago to the Commonwealth," he explained with genuine honestly written across his face. Alex, however, was more than cautious. Burke was an accomplished liar and more than capable of spinning such a tale to cover his tracks.

"Why?" she asked, her anger fleeing despite her best efforts. She wanted to be mad at him damnit!

"For my own reasons of course." Something about his tone warned Alex off the subject.

"Then how the hell did they find us?"

"They have been tracking, you, us since October."

"How can I be sure that you didn't help them?"

"Because the Colonel told me that they have been following us Tenpenny Tower. I intend to go back and worm out the traitor.

Alex scratched her head with a gloved hand. "Shit, they didn't waste any time."

Mister Burke nodded. "Indeed. I have little inkling just how they managed to track us down. The good colonel kept that to himself."

"Well, if you're here and I'm here, then where is Dogmeat and Fawkes?"

"After you lost consciousness, your dog escaped and fled deep back into the Vault. I can only assume he went looking for that Super Mutant."

"I hope they're safe."

"As I am sure they are. I heard that the Enclave President wants to speak to you."

Alex managed a smile despite herself. "Yeah. Tough being this popular. Want to come?"

Burke grinned as if Alex had asked him to dinner. "I thought you would never ask."

"I almost didn't," she remarked as they started down the corridor. The suited man shot Alex a glance.

"The colonel told me about your father. I am sorry Alex."

The teenager grimaced, still unable to shake the look of disappointment and sorrow from her father. "Not as sorry as I am."

"I would not blame your father Alex. He had little choice."

"I'm his daughter! He thought he was supposed to put me first," she stated and slammed another cell into the Plasma rifle with more force than was necessary. Burke was sure that he heard the gun crunch in protest.

The man sighed. "He put you first once before. I suppose he could not do it again."

"How did you know about that?" Alex asked, rounding back onto him.

An eyebrow arched on Burke's forehead. "I was a member of the Enclave Alex. There is very little I do not know about the Capital Wasteland."

"I'll bet. How the fuck did you escape anyway?"

"I was born in this facility Alex. I know exactly how it works. And how the security system ticks."

"Well Mister Know-it-all, where is the President's office?"

"Come right this way my dear girl. Please reframe from using flash cameras during your visit. Authentic pictures can be bought from the gift shop on the way out."

"Very funny Burke."

* * *

Alex walked into the office of the Enclave president expecting to see a desk, a chair and possibly a withered old man. What Alex had certainly not been expecting was to enter a sky high room with nothing in it expect from hundreds of caches and databanks. The room seemed to stretch for miles upwards and when Alex looked up, she saw nothing but a climbing tower of staircases. A pulsing throb thrummed against her eardrums loud enough to make her teeth feel as if they were about to rattle right out of her gums.

"_Ah, here you are little Halsey. Do come up," _The control room echoed to her.

Alex dithered at the bottom of the stairs. She briefly entertained the idea of turning on her heel and running but thought better of it. Enclave soldiers were still milling around the entire base looking for the little convict and her friend.

So the girl started to climb the staircase, her hands clinging to the handlebars as if she expected to steps to disappear right out from underneath her booted feet. The higher she climbed, the more her expectations of the president plummeted. Alex wondered briefly what on earth the president of the Enclave was doing at the top of such a huge tower. She snorted to herself, imagining the president to be a tiny man with an even bigger Napoleon complex than herself.

It would certainly add up.

Alex could not have been farther from the truth.

Once at the top of the tower, Alex peeked around the corner gingerly. There was nothing at the top of the staircase skyscraper. Nothing at all apart from a large computer screen attached to a few databanks and a faded green vase sporting several yellow flowers that Alex supposed were daffodils. "Eh, Hello?" Alex called out, feeling stupid and foolish for the second time that day.

The large monitor suddenly lit up at the sound of her voice. _"Welcome Miss Halsey. I was beginning to think you got lost."_

Alex looked around the pseudo office curiously. "Where are you?"

A thin line flickered across the screen in front of her. _"Right here."_

An eyebrow arched on her forehead. "Is this some kind of joke?"

The monitor fizzled again. _"No, it's not. I am the computer you see before you. Well, that and several thousand Databanks beneath this room. The AI that makes me up is no different from your Pip-Boy" _

She glanced at the empty gap on her wrist and felt the pang of loss again. "My Pip-Boy? Are you like his dad or something?"

A chuckle that sounded so real that it could have fooled anyone escaped the massive super computer. _"Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that but in a sense you're correct. Our AIs were developed by the same company. While Vault-Tec owned the rights to your Pip-Boy, mine was bought by the military."_

Alex could do nothing but stare with open mouthed shock, her expectations of the president of the Enclave completely blown out of the water.

The machine buzzed again. _"You're speechless I know but you should feel privileged. Colonel Autumn is the only other human allowed in this room. You are now privy to one of the few secrets our governments harbours. Do keep it to yourself please."_

"Guess that explains why no one has ever seen you before," Alex mused, mostly to herself.

"_Very astute! Many people are content with an reassuring voice of authority and never question the lack of public appearance. You, however, are not many people. You are unique. That is why I have asked you here. There is some things we must discuss."_

Alex folded her arms defiantly. "There isn't a hell of a lot I want to talk to you about. In all honesty, you've got some real nerve asking me here."

"_Oh but we do! Don't you see? You wouldn't be here if you weren't important. Your country needs you."_

A snort escaped Alex's chest. "What country? Look around. Everything is destroyed."

President Eden let out a huff through the complex and advanced speakers attached to his monitor. _"That's a bit of a bleak outlook don't you think? Yes, the United States has fallen on some hard times indeed."_

"The USA hasn't fallen on hard times. It's fallen on a hard place, been smashed with a rock then nuked for good measure," Alex stated with a sour scowl.

"_Well, all the more for us to try and do something right? America has fallen on hard times yes, but it can be healed. You have that power to heal within you if you'll allow yourself. What I ask you of little Halsey needs explanation so you understand why it must be done. Perhaps it will stir you to act."_

"You think I'm going to help you! After detaining my father, capturing me and stealing my parents Project. Let's not forget the G.E.C.K! All my hard work! Ruined!" Alex exploded, cheeks flared bright as berries.

Throughout Alex's outburst, the president made no attempt to interfere. As Alex was left breathing heavily, Eden attempted to smooth out her anger. _"Come now Miss Halsey, all I am asking of you is to listen. Is that really so hard?"_

"I'm never good at listening."

"_That I don't doubt. Maybe I could teach you." _He did not wait for an answer before continuing_ "Our country is hampered at every turn by a world gone wrong. So called 'Super Mutants', Ghouls and other horrific creatures. The mutations outside these walls must be cleansed before we can begin anew. Mutations must be eradicated. I believe your father's work can do that more quickly than ever before."_

The teenager frowned with confusion. "My dad's work? How is this relevant?"

"_The purifier that your father helped create –" _

Alex swallowed the lump the size of a boulder in her throat. "Hang on a minute. The purifier that my father 'did' create."

Eden buzzed with mock surprise. _"Why Miss Halsey, I didn't think you still cared about your father."_

"You saw that argument we had?" the girl asked, visibly shocked that he knew.

"_Heard it too. I cannot blame you for acting the way you did. I would have done the same."_

Jade hues shrunk into slits. "What do you mean?"

"_Your father would sooner let you die than let us work together for the betterment of mankind. Hardly the kind of man you'd want as your father. He doesn't deserve your loyalty."_

Alex shifted on one foot, visibly distressed. She had not expected such a comment from the Enclave president. It confused her. And when something confused Alex, everyone else around her knew about it. "What do you want from me?"

"_I'm glad you asked. I simply want your help to make this country a better place, free it from all manner of mutations. You're father's work can help achieve this."_

"How?" the teenager asked, genuinely intrigued. It almost sounded too good to be true.

The compartment in front of her suddenly opened up and a drawer ejected out with a small hiss. A small cylinder jutted out at Alex, green liquid swirling around inside the glass chamber. Alex bent into a crouch to examine it. _"In that vial in front of you is a modified version of the FEV virus. Based on the schematics of the purifiers controls, it can be inserted directly into the console. Then enter the code to start the purifier and the automated systems will take care of the rest. _"

An image of the creature in Vault 87's medical bay floated to Alex's brain. She shuddered and tried desperately to move on. She wanted to ignore that chapter, to put it out of her mind entirely.

She did not succeed.

"Why not just get Colonel Autumn to do this for you."

The president cleared his throat_. "Ah yes, Colonel Autumn. My trusted subordinate. As I'm sure you've noticed, the colonel and I do not see eye-to-eye these days, figuratively speaking of course. The good colonel and I disagree on how best to approach the problem of the Wasteland_. _He feels my methods are too extreme."_

"How so?"

"_The details are not important." _

Alex's skinny arms folded across her chest. "Well they are to me. I just want to know why Colonel Pompous would suddenly change his tune._"_

"_My my, such cynical wit. Very well. Colonel Autumn has allowed his humanity to cloud his judgement. And now that he is publicly countermanding my orders, I can no longer rely on him."_

"Is that why all the soldiers have been attacking me?"

"_Yes, I do apologise for that. While I am direct control over Raven Rock technology, he has control over the human soldiers."_

"So hard to find good help these days."

Eden let out a laugh through his speakers, a slight buzz lining his chuckle. _"Indeed it is. I must say Miss Halsey, I expected you to be much more...unaccommodating. Colonel Autumn painted you as unreasonable."_

"He's the one who is unreasonable."

"_So Alex, if I may call you that, will you help us rebuild our great nation?"_

"Have you spoke to my dad about this?"

"_Your father made it perfectly clear that he didn't want anything do with the Enclave, unfortunately."_

"Maybe if you released him back into the capital Wasteland, he would be more inclined to help."

"_I'm not sure that's possible."_

Alex mounted her hands on her hips. "Alright then, fine. I can play hard ball too. I'll help you only if you release me and my father back into the Wasteland."

"_That sounds like a fair enough deal but how can I be certain that you'll honour the agreement? "_

The teenager frowned. "You don't. You're just going to have to trust me."

"_Well, let's see then. Perhaps we can work something out...Yes, I'll free both you and your father in return for you co-operation."_

Alex reached down and picked up the vial of liquid and slid it into her jacket. It was still warm to the touch and heated the lining of her pocket. The console suddenly buzzed again. _"Oh and before you go, I believe this belongs to you." _The girl looked up questionably, only to have another compartment ping out at her. Sitting inside the empty storage slot was her Pip-Boy, looking as new and shiny as it did when she first got it nine years previously. Alex opened and closed her mouth several times before she could eventually manage coherent sentences. "What? How?"

The screen lit up. _"When we were detaining you, one of our scientists noticed that your Pip-Boy was damaged. I had it repaired for you should you agree to assist us."_

Alex's face turned several different colours. She reached out and secured the Pip-Boy around her wrist. She tapped master reset button upon the device. The logo of Vault-Tec lit up on the screen, bathing Alex in a familiar bright green. Records and data scrolled across the screen as it spooled up and data packages were loaded into his hard drive. Alex stood trembling, waiting for her Pip-Boy to speak again.

At last, the device spoke, still as Scottish as the day she got him. "Ach, remind me never ta do 'hat again'"

"I won't let you do that again," Alex said with a laugh.

The Pip-Boy flashed a bright green. "Alex lass! Yeh be really here! I thought I be just dreamin'."

"But you don't dream. You're a computer program."

"Same old Alex. Least I know it's really you."

She touched the screen gently. "It is me. We're back together again. As it should be."

"Where be us?"

"Raven Rock."

The little screen flashed orange in warning. "The Enclave! Lass! Are yeh sure that's safe?"

Alex looked to the president – who she was sure was smirking away behind the monitor. "We don't exactly have much of a choice really. They fixed you."

Topaz dulled into emerald. "Yeh be pulling my leg." The girl ignored him and turned back to the monitor whom had been waiting patiently. "And my dad?"

"_Several soldiers still loyal to me are assisting his departure as we speak."_

"Well, I guess I should be thanking you then."

"_No no Miss Halsey, I thank you. With your help, America will become great again."_

The Pip-Boy flashed. "Help? What help? What's going on Lass?"

Alex glanced down at her wrist, a frown on her lips. "I'll explain later. We need to leave here. Now." She turned back to Eden's monitor. "Can you help us?"

"_Certainly. Let me just see what I can do for you. We'll just change this..And that...disable a few security camera here and there...And reprogram a sentry bots. There we go. You might encounter some more resistance but for the most part, things should run smoothly."_

"Well, goodbye then Mister President."

"_Good luck Miss Halsey. Though I highly doubt you need it." _Alex turned on her heel and proceeded to leave the building, fully aware of the cameras watching her departure with interest. Outside the doors, Burke was waiting for her; leaning casually against the wall near the two sentry bots. "All done?" He looked odd without his trade-mark managed a nod and held up her wrist.

"Look what they fixed."

Burke peered at the device then frowned. "Welcome back."

The Pip-Boy buzzed, vibrating against Alex's denim-clad wrist. "Drop dead."

An eyebrow hitched up Burke's forehead. "He seems in perfect working order."

"And they gave him a clean too. He hasn't looked this good since...well, forever."

"Shall we depart?"

Alex nodded and looked around the lobby. "I just want out oh here. I'd had enough of trolling through corridors."

"As have I. Your father?"

"Eden said he would have him transported out of here."

Burke opened his mouth to say something else when the sudden appearance of an Enclave soldier made him re-shuffle his priorities. Before either Alex or Burke could raise their weapons, the armour clad soldier raised their hands in a peace offering. "Hold your fire, I'm an ally" The voice behind the helmet was clearly female. Alex raised an eyebrow. "How do we know that?"

The soldier in question reached up to her helmet and started undoing the clasps and clips. With a hiss, the Enclave helmet eased off to reveal a woman not too much older than Alex. She was pretty with large thoughtful eyes and black hair cut short. "You don't. You just have to trust me. I'm Ana. I'm with the Brotherhood of Steel."

"Who?" The soldier stiffened slightly and frowned at the teenager.

"Knight Ana of the Brotherhood of Steel. Second Echo division. Undercover in the Enclave."

"Alright, you've made your point. What are you doing here?"

"Elder Lyons had me contacted when you left to find the G.E.C.K. Naturally, he wanted me to keep an eye on you and make sure you didn't get into any trouble."

Alex gestured to the walls around them with a gloved hand. "Well, doesn't look like you did a very good job."

"Alex," Burke warned. Apparently, Alex had a wax build-up in her eardrums for she just carried ignoring him. The soldier known as Ana rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this. Are you coming or not?"

"Where?"

"Out of here of course. I've got a Vertibird on the surface waiting for us. It's got your dad in it."

"Eden mentioned that some of his loyal soldiers were helping my dad. You one of them?"

Ana tossed her head to the side, a grin on her lips. "Ha, in his perfect world maybe. But no, my loyalties lie with the Brotherhood of Steel. Me and a few other agents jumped them when they started shifting your dad."

"I see."

The soldier jerked a thumb backwards. "Come on. Let's go. I don't want the guard dogs springing us while we escape."

Alex and Burke looked at each other then joined her side. Clearly both were more than willing to leave Raven Rock. "Guard dogs?" Alex asked as they started back through the hazardous corridors.

Ana frowned and reached for the Laser rifle mounted upon her back. "The _Tachikomas_. Dangerous little creatures. They answer to the Colonel only. Even Eden has no control over them." It seemed that the technology of Raven Rock had completely revolted. Sentry Bots rounded onto Enclave soldiers, the defence barriers cut off escapes for Enclave and the security system had gone completely AWOL. Vertibirds were being risen up from the depths of the base. Civilians were being moved elsewhere. According to Ana, Even a Deathclaw was running around the lower floors of the military base. Alerts sounded so loudly off the walls that Alex was sure that someone must have heard it above. Fire exploded all around them but the group kept moving forwards. Doors that had been locked beforehand opened automatically for the strange group.

_Can we really trust her?_ Alex's Pip-Boy piped up, the cold gasp of ice a welcoming sensation on the nape of her neck. It felt so good to have him back.

_Don't look it we've got much of a choice. _

_Well at least yeh can find out who be comin' with us. _

"Who is coming with us?" the brunette asked, voicing both her and the Pip-Boy's concern.

Ana looked around a corner cautiously, rifle raised before she answered. "Well, us obviously, a few of the other agents, your dad and Doctor Autumn."

"Autumn? Relation of the Colonel?"

"His wife from what I've heard." Ana pulled a face. "Can't imagine why she would marry a pig like that. I would say he is at least fifteen years older than her."

"How can we trust her then? She could be working with the Colonel."

Ana waved a hand. "No, I don't think so. They haven't been on good terms these days. I think she's helping us to jab him in the eye."

Alex nearly laughed. That was just how relaxed the Brotherhood member left her feeling. Ana lead them through the corridors as if she were giving them a guided tour of the place. Apart from the occasional stray soldier fleeing the rebelling base, the trip to the surface was far easier than Alex had envisioned.

It felt like it had been an age since Alex had been on the surface when in reality, it had only been twenty fours or so. They emerged one cold, Wasteland morning to find that nothing much had changed. Snow still coated the ground, clouds still gathered overhead and the air still only registered at one or two degrees. What was indeed different was that several Vertibirds were attempting to take off a hundred or so yard away. Overhead, the sky was simply buzzing with activity right down to the particles in the air. Many Vertibirds were already in the distance, carrying the great crates that housed the _Tachikomas._

"Running won't help. I'll just shoot you in your asses," Alex growled, mostly to herself. Burke heard the comment and gave her a tiny, tired smile.

Not too far away, a very familiar Super Mutant downing a Vertibird with a sort of Laser Gatling Gun. It didn't seem as if he had noticed them for once the aircraft was down, he proceeded to pull the pilot right out through the cockpit. Off to the left, another Vertibird was prepped and ready for take-off. A few titanium clad soldiers were filling about it, checking the aircraft before take-off. The boarding flap was down, allowing Alex a crystal clear view of the interior. James was there, along with the blonde doctor whom she had seen earlier. They seemed to be sitting a little _too_ close for Alex's liking. She felt a thrill of what she could only guess was jealousy, perhaps even resentment towards the blonde woman. Not only was she the wife of the Colonel but now she was attempting to shack up with James.

However, Alex's Pip-Boy interrupted her chain of thoughts before the green eyed woman stormed over and caused a riot.

_Lass! Look at that! Is dat who I think it is?_

_Yeah, I think it is._

Leaving Ana and Burke in the dust, Alex ran out to meet the Super Mutant whom had been providing cover fire for the grounded Vertibird.

Fawkes's face lit up when the teenager approached. In fact, the Meta-human placed his weapon down on the ground and pulled the teenager into a fierce hug. The soldiers around the Vertibird rounded onto him, weapons raised. Ana cut them off with a hand signal. "My friend! You are alive!"

"Takes more than the Enclave to put me down. But, what the hell are you doing here?"

The super mutant released her. "I saw your capture and a little cleverness allowed me to follow them. With some help from your furry friend of course."

"Where is Dogmeat anyway?"

From the open Vertibird, the husky dog barked happily and scrambled down the open ramp towards her. Alex met him halfway and coiled her arms around his fluffy neck. Dogmeat licked her eagerly, soaking her cheeks in drool. It was a rather odd day for Alex to the say the least. She had gone from being completely alone to having her entire family back again under one...roof.

Ana joined the teenager's side, eyes trained upon the Super Mutant as if she considered him a threat. Alex guessed that the soldier inside the woman would never unwind. "That's our ride. Where are we dropping you off? Citadel?"

The teenager looked to Burke. "Well?"

He gave a very uncharacteristic shrug. "If you would rather go with your father, I understand completely. I however must return to Tenpenny Tower."

Alex nodded. Though she didn't feel like confronting her father, she didn't want to feel like a coward. "I'm going to the Citadel. He's going to Tenpenny's place. But what about Fawkes?"

"I'm not sure if he we could get him onto the Vertibird. And I doubt the others would be too happy having him about," Ana said tactfully.

"He's with me. If he doesn't go then I don't either." Her tone was firm and a frown equally as stubborn adorned her face.

"I can simply walk my friend," Fawkes attempted to intervene. The two women ignored him.

"The Vertibird is overcrowded as it is," Ana pointed out.

Alex looked towards the aircraft. Perhaps it were best if she walked. Alex was not entirely sure she could be in the same area as her father without trying to wring his neck.

The temptation would be far too great.

"Fine. Me, Fawkes and Dogmeat will walk. I'll meet you at the Citadel." Fawkes's jaw dropped open.

This time, it was Burke's turn to frown. "Not acceptable. We are some distance away."

"Think about it Burke. There is not enough room on the Vertibird for all of us and I won't leave Fawkes out here alone. I released him, he's my responsibility now." The super mutant's small eyes brightened again but he remained silent. It was just better that way. "So you go in the Vertibird."

"If you insist on walking then I shall come with you."

"No! I'll be fine. I survived the Wasteland without your help once before, I can do it again." Alex snapped Burke in silence. His mouth shut and he turned away, clearly offended that the teenager did not want his company. Alex ignored him. She did not want to be trapped inside a Vertibird. It was far too closed quarters for her liking, despite her love for most technology. Alex turned back to Ana, pretending rather unsuccessfully to ignore Burke's bitter scowl. "Well, if that all, you should probably get going then."

"What about your father Alex?"

"Get him to the Citadel. I'll catch up later." Dogmeat trotted over and sat down in the dust and dirt by her heels. A warm tongue darted out and licked Alex's gloved clad hand, attempting to comfort her. She looked at him and he stared back with his mismatched eyes. He wore a look that just seemed to scream: _Don't worry. I'm here now. We'll be okay._

She wished she could have believed him.

So the matter was decided. Alex, Fawkes and Dogmeat would walk back to the city while the rest would go on the Vertibird. Burke pulled her aside before the Vertibird took off. "I know that you are unhappy with your father but I am not entirely sure this is the way to go."

Nearby, Fawkes was perched on a large boulder with Dogmeat sitting in front him. A green hand was patting the furry head of the husky dog gently. Despite not wearing much clothing, the Super mutant did not seem the least bit bothered by the cold. "There is no other way. There is not enough ammo or supplies for the both of us. The Enclave confiscated heaps of stuff."

"If that Super Mutant were not here, would you have gone in the Vertibird?" Burke asked, his voice holding an edge to it that Alex could not place.

"Listen, I just don't want to face my dad right now. I need some time to figure out what to do. I grieved for him because I thought he was dead. For weeks I had believed that he was gone and I had moved on but now I find out that he's alive and kicking."

"If this is what you desire, I shall not attempt to stop you. Let me just warn you that the weather is rather unprediactable."

"Besides, I don't know if the Enclave are going to come after me again. It's better if you're not about. I couldn't forgive myself if you got dragged into this as well."

Burke straightened up at her steely words. "I became part of this from the moment I met you. Remember that."

"Great, mushy romance. Just what I need."

Two hands suddenly placed themselves on her shoulder. "I am deathly serious Alex. Please be careful."

Alex forced herself to stare him straight in the eye. It was not often that she heard such a heartfelt plead, yet alone coming from the "I'll be fine. I have Fawkes and Dogmeat with me." She wrapped her heavy coat pockets. "And I have enough supplies to last a good few days."

"If you should need me, you know exactly where I am."

"Thanks. You're not so bad sometimes." Though he was clearly not happy with the arrangement, Burke released Alex once he realised she was not going to budge. For a second, he leaned forward as if he were going to kiss her but suddenly thought better of it. With Alex's father looking out from a Vertibird a few yards away, it was not surprising. She guessed he did not want to make waves by doing something obscene in plain sight of all.

It was not long before Vertibird took to the winter skies with all the grace and elegance of an eagle. Fawkes and Dogmeat stood by her side, watching the Vertibird go. Alex stared up as it came nothing more than a speckle of black against a background of grey and white. For a quite some time, not one word was exchanged between the Mutant and the human. They simply stared after the Vertibird in complete silence.

Eventually, Fawkes cleared his throat. "I appreciate what you did for me my friend. Truly."

Alex turned to face him. "No one was looking out for me when I first came out here. We don't want it to happen to someone else. Do we boy?" Alex looked to the husky dog to the left. Dogmeat barked happily and pranced about on the spot, apparently happy with this new arrangement.

At least someone was.

"Thank you."

"Well, better get going. We've got a long walk ahead of us."

"Never fear my friend. I have been confined for many years so I do not mind in the slightest."

"You won't be saying that when I start demanding a piggy-back," the teenager remarked with a small grin.

"For what you have done for me, I would give you a hundred 'piggy-backs'"

"I'll hold you to that Fawkes," she joked before turning her jade eyed gaze back to the horizon of the Capital Wasteland. Somewhere in her chest, her heart tightened against the vial of the FEV. Was this what the Wasteland would see in the coming days? Secrets and Lies? Vertibirds in the air? Soldiers feuding? War tearing at the already frayed landscape? What had she just done by agreeing to help the President?

Was this the shape of things to come?


End file.
